Man, 24, ‘was not a suspect when the police shot at him’

CHRIS Kaba was not being chased by armed officers when his Audi “made contact” with police cars and he was shot dead, an inquest has been told.

The 24-year-old died when a Met officer opened fire on the Audi Q8 he was driving through south London on Sept 5.

It had previously been thought police were chasing the vehicle after it triggered an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera indicating it had been involved in a firearms incident.

But the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said at the inquest that officers had been following the Audi covertly before the shooting and did not know the driver’s identity.

The IOPC said there was evidence to support eyewitness claims Mr Kaba had rammed the police cars in an attempt to escape, saying there was “contact” between the vehicles.

The officer who opened fire is under criminal investigation for Mr Kaba’s murder. The IOPC has said the inquiry could take nine months to conclude.