Police firearms officers who kill in the line of duty will have their identities kept secret unless they are convicted, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has announced.
In a statement in the Commons, Ms Cooper said there will be “a presumption” not to publicly identify cops who face criminal proceedings. If this rule had been in place when Chris Kaba was shot dead, police marksman Martyn Blake’s name would never have been released.
Mr Blake was acquitted of murder by a jury on Monday. Police intelligence found gangsters had offered rewards of up to £10,000 for his name and address in the aftermath of the shooting.
The Home Secretary said: “When officers act in the most dangerous situations on behalf of the state it is vital that they and their families aren’t put in further danger during any subsequent legal proceedings.”
She said the current police accountability system is “not commanding the confidence” of forces or the public. Ms Cooper said new measures would raise the threshold for police to be prosecuted.
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She told MPs that the requirement of referring a cop to the Crown Prosecution Service is lower than for the wider public. “That’s not justified,” she said.
Ms Cooper said there will be a rapid independent review of the legal thresholds for using force by police. But she vowed to strengthen processes to kick out crooked and dangerous officers.
She added a new ‘lessons learned’ database will be set up for deaths and serous injuries following police contact or pursuits, she told MPs.
Speaking about Monday’s verdict, Ms Cooper said: “It’s imperative that the jury’s verdict is respected and Sgt Blake and his family are given the time and space to recover from what will be an extremely difficult experience.”
She said officers “need to know they have strong public support”. Backbench Labour MP Kim Johnson questioned the need for more protections, pointing to the number of deaths in custody and “overpolicing” of the Black community.
Ms Johnson said: “They already have the protection they need.” It comes after Keir Starmer said the Government would complete the probe into the use of force by police, which was announced by the Tories last year. Then-Home Secretary Suella Braverman commissioned the review in September 2023 after Mr Blake was charged with murder over the shooting of Mr Kaba.
More than 100 Metropolitan Police firearms officers turned in their permits that allowed them to carry weapons after he was charged, sparking fears that soldiers would have to step in to provide armed response. The marksman, who had denied intending to kill Mr Kaba, was cleared of murder on Monday after a trial at the Old Bailey.
Mr Blake, 40, shot the unarmed 24-year-old through the windscreen of an Audi Q8 as he tried to ram his way past police cars on September 5 2022 in Streatham, South London. His vehicle had been flagged to police after it was linked to a shooting in nearby Brixton..
Mr Kaba, who had been due to become a father, had no weapons in his vehicle. His death triggered protests against the police and his family said they had been left with “the deep pain of injustice” following the verdict.
Speaking to reporters travelling to a summit in Samoa, Mr Starmer said: “The jury has come to a decision in this case and we’ve got to respect the result of it. I do understand the pressure that firearms officers operate under having to make split second decisions in difficult, fast-moving circumstances. I obviously saw that for myself when I was prosecuting.”