Investigators will soon consider whether race was a factor in the fatal shooting of Chris Kaba by an armed officer, the police watchdog has said.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it would ‘explore all of the circumstances; surrounding the death of the unarmed 24-year-old rapper.
This includes whether ‘race influenced any actions taken by the police’.
Investigators will look into whether the police officers involved knew Mr Kaba before the incident, and how they came to be aware of the vehicle he had been driving, the watchdog said.
The investigation is expected to take between six and nine months.
IOPC regional director’s Sal Naseem says Mr Kaba’s family has been involved in discussions.
He said: ‘We fully appreciate that Chris Kaba’s devastated family and the community have a lot of unanswered questions about his death.
‘We have been in further contact with Chris’s family this week to answer a number of questions they have and to offer them privately and confidentially the opportunity to view video footage as soon as it is practicable.
‘We understand that people want answers quickly, but this is a complex investigation involving a significant amount of evidence.
‘There are a number of inquiries to carry out over the coming weeks and months, including expert analysis, and it is important that we allow our investigation to run its course as we seek to establish all of the facts.’
The Met Police says it welcomes ‘important conversations’ moving forward.
Assistant Commissioner Amanda Pearson said: ‘We continue to fully support the IOPC investigation as they work to establish the facts and try to answer the many questions Mr Kaba’s family and others have around his tragic death.
‘We’ve been spending this week speaking with local communities across London, including our Independent Advisory Groups – we know how important it is we listen to their views and concerns and explain as far as we can what is happening. We welcome more of these important conversations.’
Hundreds marched on Parliament on Saturday demanding justice for the 24-year-old.
They held signs with slogans such as ‘no justice, no peace’.
The Metropolitan Black Police Association (Met BPA) offered condolences to Mr Kaba’s family and said it supported the responses of the IOPC and the Met to the incident so far.
Speaking about the public response to the incident, a spokesperson for the group added: ‘There has been a legitimate and powerful show of community strength and unity.
‘While heartening to see, it comes yet again through evident pain and frustration.’
Mr Kaba, who was about to become a father, was killed on September 5 following a police pursuit of his car which ended in Streatham Hill, south London.
His Audi was hemmed in by two police vehicles in Kirkstall Gardens, a narrow residential street, and one round was fired from a police weapon.
The Metropolitan Police officer involved has since been suspended by the force.
An inquest into Mr Kaba’s death will be opened on October 4.
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