Chris Kaba shooting: Grieving family to take a step back

Chris Kaba, who was due to become a father, died in the early hours of 6 September about two hours after he was shot

The family of Chris Kaba, an unarmed black man shot dead by a police officer in south London, are to withdraw from the public eye for the time being.

Mr Kaba, 24, was shot following a car pursuit that ended in Streatham on the night of 5 September.

On Wednesday, the family were shown body-worn police camera footage of the moments leading up to his death.

His cousin Jefferson Bosela said: "For now, the family are going to take a break and take a step back."

Mr Bosela, family spokesman, said: "The family just wants justice."

A statement issued by the Kaba family's legal representatives said: "Yesterday, Chris Kaba's closest family were given the opportunity to view some footage of the incident in which he was fatally shot by a police officer.

"The facts of this case demand urgent accountability and the family therefore await regular meaningful updates on the investigation and the progress towards a charging decision.

"The family will not make any further comment for the time being, whilst awaiting further regular updates from the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) to ensure that the investigation does the job that it needs to do.

"The family's demands for the officer to be questioned under caution and for an early charging decision remain unchanged."

The Met Police has suspended the officer who shot Mr Kaba, but the family has previously criticised the length of time it took for this to happen, accusing the force of racism.

• Police watchdog to examine race as factor

• Chris Kaba family says officer suspension too slow

• Met Police officers 'concerned' over shooting suspension

The IOPC recently said it would examine whether Mr Kaba's race influenced any actions taken by police.

Its investigation is expected to take six to nine months.

As well as viewing the body-worn footage, the family also met new Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley on Wednesday

Investigators have previously said that on the night of the shooting, an Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera indicated a vehicle being driven by Mr Kaba, which was not registered to him, had been linked to a recent firearms incident.

The IOPC said CPR was immediately given by officers and support requested from the ambulance service, but Mr Kaba died in hospital in the early hours of 6 September.

A coroner's inquest into Mr Kaba's death is due to open on 4 October.

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