The BBC has been slammed for playing a Chris Kaba documentary at the same time a £10,000 bounty was revealed to remain on the head of the Met firearms officer who killed him.
Martyn Blake – who shot the gang member dead in 2022 in south London – has recently been acquitted of his murder after a three-hour deliberation by a jury at the Old Bailey.
However, at the same time as the trial’s verdict and subsequent news of a bounty being placed on the acquitted officer’s head, the BBC aired an episode of a documentary, discussing the police operation that led to Kaba’s death two years ago.
During the programme, the leader of the investigation defended his choice that a murder inquiry must be launched, asking whether the police officer’s actions were necessary.
At the same time of the trial’s verdict and subsequent news of a bounty being placed on the acquitted officer’s head, the BBC aired an episode of a documentary, discussing the police operation that led to Kaba’s death two years ago
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Former Met officer and police commentator Chris Hobbs told the Telegraph: “The timing of this documentary is very questionable, given that there remains a significant threat to Sergeant Blake’s life.
“The flames have only just begun to die down, but then you have the IOPC and its investigator choosing to throw petrol onto the embers, with the assistance of the BBC and its Panorama documentary.
“We are now fully aware of the extreme levels of violence which surrounded Kaba and his fellow gang thugs.
“This documentary is therefore only likely to increase the risk faced by the officer who was found not guilty of murder.”
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