A judge removed Officer Martin Blake's anonymity, saying there was no “imminent” threat to his safety.
A British police officer who first identified himself as Martin Blake has pleaded not guilty to the murder of 24-year-old black man Chris Cava in 2022.
Mr Cava was unarmed and was stopped by a police firearms specialist as he was driving in Streatham Hill, south London, on September 5, 2022. He was shot in the head through the windshield of a car and died the next day.
The officer who shot Mr. Kabba was previously identified only by the code name NX121 because he faced some kind of threat to his safety.
But Judge Mark LeCraft lifted the anonymity on Friday and said after analyzing the threat, there was no “real and imminent danger” to Mr Blake.
Blake, 40, entered a not guilty plea at London's Old Bailey court on Friday and is due to stand trial on October 2.
Kaba's family was in the courtroom during the short hearing.
Kaba's killing sparked widespread protests and anger among the country's black communities and reignited a national debate about racism within the police force and the need for reform.
Police said at the time that his car was stopped because his registration number was “associated with firearms offenses from several days ago.”
Black Lives Matter UK welcomed Mr Blake's naming as a “positive development”, but added: “It is a sign of the trauma inflicted on the Kabba family, who have endured suffering seeking answers and accountability for the extrajudicial killing of their loved one.” “You can't ignore the pain.” One”.
Nor can we ignore the broader trend of on-duty police officers involved in fatal shootings avoiding murder and manslaughter convictions.
This moment is a reckoning for both. @metpoliceuk they are forced to face the reality that they cannot act with impunity.
— #BlackLivesMatterUK (@ukblm) March 8, 2024
The group posted on X that this would “serve as a reckoning” for the police. “They can no longer hide behind anonymity while inflicting harm and fear on our communities. Police officers must be held accountable.”
The Metropolitan Police Federation said in a statement: “We are deeply shocked, saddened and concerned by the decision to release the names of the firearms enforcement officers involved in this incident.”
Federation president Rick Pryor said: “Being a firearms officer in London has one of the toughest jobs in the world.” Officers who serve in the role on a volunteer basis understand the responsibility and accountability that comes with it. This is a unique job and requires impartiality when it comes to scrutiny. ”
Statement from the Metropolitan Police Federation regarding the naming decision for Firearms Officer NX121 https://t.co/FidQlDIBVK pic.twitter.com/q5uPGB4fM9
— Metropolitan Police Federation (@MPFed) March 8, 2024
Last March, an independent inquiry into the Metropolitan Police, Britain's largest police force, found it to be institutionally racist, misogynistic and homophobic.
The review, commissioned after a young woman was raped and murdered by a serving officer, said the force needed to “transform itself” or risk splitting up.