Met Police firearms officers have said the force is struggling to recruit for its armed unit over fears of prosecution in the wake of the shooting of Chris Kaba.
Sergeant Martyn Blake, 40, was cleared of Mr Kaba’s murder on Monday after a three-week trial over the fatal shooting during a vehicle stop in Streatham, south London, on 5 September 2022.
The Crown Prosecution Service has defended its decision to bring Mr Blake to trial following criticism from officers and calls from Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for firearms colleagues to be given more legal protections.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper is expected to announce the results of a Tory-ordered review on the use of force by police in the coming days.
Current and former armed officers who spoke to i said there was anger among police ranks that Mr Blake was charged and that the decision is having an impact on the number of new recruits coming forward.
One serving firearms officer said: “They’re scared it could be them next which is understandable. “A lot of SO19, the unit that (Mr Blake) is on, are angry.
“I don’t know many people that want to join [firearms] unit, because everyone is so scared about having some form of investigation against them.”
One former firearms officer who served with Scotland Yard said: “There’s hardly anyone who wants to apply for [positions in the] firearms unit. People will say, “Are you stupid?” Because of the scrutiny you could face and the environment.
“You are trained to stop someone not to kill. We’re there to bring people to justice so they can face trial. We’re not there to be executioners.”
Last year, more than 100 Met officers stood down from duties following their colleague’s murder charge over the fatal shooting of Mr Kaba.
The army had been put on standby to cover for armed police after the officers handed in their firearms permits to protest for more legal protections.
Earlier this year, it was reported that a recent recruitment drive for the Specialist Firearms Command MO19 saw just six applications, the lowest number on record, and a dramatic fall on the 150 to 250 expected in a normal year.
As of November 2023, Scotland Yard had 2,293 Authorised Firearms Officers (AFOs) who patrol the capital 24 hours a day. However, between April and December last year, more than 250 AFOs left the unit.
There were more than 17,500 firearms operations in the year to 31 March across the UK, with just two incidents in which a police firearm was intentionally discharged.
One colleague of Mr Blake said officers who fire fatal shots should face a court martial-style hearing rather than a jury trial.
The firearms officer told the BBC: “There are no winners in this situation and there were no winners in the courtroom yesterday.”
He said that “at no point was there any evidence that (Mr Blake) had done anything wrong”.
The marksman, who remained anonymous, added: “There’s a problem when police officers are scrutinised by people who don’t necessarily understand the pressures and the issues involved.
“I’m no legal expert but I do wonder whether there’s something maybe akin to the court martial system that we see in the military which would be a better fit for incidents like this”.
He suggested a panel of legal experts who can call on witnesses from the incident to “seek a judicial outcome from that.”
Ms Cooper is expected to make a statement in parliament this week over the case and is likely to report the findings of a review ordered by former home secretary Suella Braverman.
The review has been looking at the existing legal frameworks and guidance on practice that underpin police use of force and police driving, as well as the rules around investigations and how long they take.
Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood told the BBC Cooper would be revealing “work that we have to do to rebuild confidence amongst the police and firearms officers and also within our communities as well” when she addresses MPs.
Mr Kaba’s family said they were left devastated at the verdict, and pledged to continue fighting for justice for their son.
His cousin Sheeda Queen said: “The acquittal of Martyn Blake isn’t just a failure for our family but for all those affected by police violence. Despite the verdict, we won’t be silenced.”