Coroner offers condolences to family of Chris Kaba
The inquest into the 24-year-old's death was opened and adjourned at Inner South London Coroner's Court.
A coroner has offered his condolences to the family of Chris Kaba as the inquest into the 24-year-old's death was opened and adjourned.
Relatives of the father-two-be attended Inner South London Coroner's Court on Tuesday for a brief hearing to open the inquest.
Coroner Andrew Harris began the hearing by offering his condolences to relatives including Mr Kaba's parents, brother and cousin who sat in the courtroom.
The court was told that unarmed Mr Kaba, 24, was shot by a police marksman through the windscreen of the car that he was driving in Streatham Hill, south London, on September 5.
The Audi, that had been linked by police to a firearms incident the previous day, was being followed by an unmarked police car.
A marked patrol car then blocked the Audi into a narrow residential street, where Mr Kaba was fatally shot.
Witnesses said Mr Kaba attempted to ram his way free before he was shot.
The inquest will be adjourned while the circumstances of the shooting are investigated by watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
The Metropolitan Police marksman who shot Mr Kaba has been suspended from duty.
Family vow to keep fighting for justice for Chris
Chris Kaba's family are vowing to keep on fighting until those responsible for his death "are held fully accountable".
Speaking outside Inner South London Coroner's Court on Tuesday morning, Jefferson Bosela said: "My cousin Chris was very much loved by us. His loss is with us every day.
"He had a bright future ahead of him. His first child was about to be born.
"That his life was cut short by a police officer is a tragedy.
"We will not rest until the people responsible for Chris's death are held fully accountable."
Chris Kaba's family have asked anyone who has any information about his death to contact their lawyers or the IOPC.
"We also asked that anyone that has any information, people who may have seen something or may have video that was taken on a camera or phone, please contact our lawyers and provide it to us or contact the IOPC and provide it to them.
"We want to ensure that we have as much evidence as possible so that we have the best chance of ensuring that justice is done."
Jefferson Bosela, Chris Kaba's cousin, said that the family is "alarmed" by the length of time the IOPC will take to carry out its investigation.
"We will not rest until the people responsible for Chris's death are held fully accountable."
The IOPC confirmed on Tuesday morning that the process will last between six and nine months.
Speaking outside Inner South London Coroner's Court on Tuesday morning, Mr Bosela said: "We are glad this matter has been investigated by the IOPC as a homicide investigation. We hope that this will lead to prosecutions.
"But we are alarmed at what we have been told about how long this is expected to take.
"We do not accept that this process should take longer than other homicide investigations, mainly because the person who killed Chris is a police officer."
Jefferson Bosela, Chris Kaba's cousin, said that what happened to Mr Kaba "must never happen again".
Mr Bosela said: "Ever since that terrible moment, my family and everyone that knew him or ask him one question: 'Why?' We are still very far from getting a proper answer. But there is something else we want to know. This is just as important. Who will be held accountable for his death?
"I am Chris's cousin and today we are here as a family because we want answers to both those questions.
"We need answers, not just this family, for the whole of London. The whole of the country needs to know how something like this could occur. How can a young man sitting in a car, unknown, be shot in the head in 2022?
"This should never have happened. It must never happen again. We must never accept this as normal. Someone must be held accountable."
The shooting is being investigated by watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct as a potential homicide.
Speaking outside Inner South London Coroner's Court, Mr Bosela said: "An urgent decision on criminal charges is critical for this family and many others to have faith in a system that is supposed to bring them justice."
He said that the shooting feels "very personal" for many communities across London, because Mr Kaba could have been their son.
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