Sadiq Khan forced to thank police officer who shot Chris Kaba dead

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has thanked the police officer who shot Chris Kaba dead, just one week on from refusing to apologise to him.

Mr Khan directly thanked officer Martyn Blake for shooting the gangster dead during a 2022 vehicle stop, but did so by referring to Mr Blake by his codename NX121.

Kaba was shot dead by Sergeant Blake as he tried to ram his car through police vehicles in Streatham, south London, in September 2022.

In the enquiries which followed Kaba's shooting, it was revealed that he was a 'core member' of the notorious 67 gang and that the vehicle he was driving at the time had been linked to three shootings in five months. 

Kaba was also set to stand trial for attempted murder had his death not occurred. 

The Mayor's gratitude towards Mr Blake comes just a week after he refused to apologise to the officer when pressed to do so by former Tory mayoral candidate Susan Hall at the London Assembly.

Ms Hall demanded explanation from Mr Khan over comments he made in the aftermath of Kaba's death, where he described the incident as 'a young life cut short'. 

As a result of a social media pile-on and a raft of threats, Mr Blake was forced to move homes and go into hiding after a £10,000 gang bounty was placed on his head. 

But in an apparent u-turn, the London Mayor thanked Mr Blake and 'all other armed officers' during an appearance on LBC radio.

Speaking with host James O'Brien this morning, the Mayor was pressed on his previous refusal to thank Mr Blake despite the officer having been cleared of any wrongdoing before the Old Bailey last month.

Initially attempting to dodge the issue, Mr Khan said that all armed officers 'deserved our support'.

'They need to have the confidence of knowing when they make that split second decision they need to be supported, and not thrown under a bus', the London Mayor said.

However, under further pressure from the show's host, Mr Khan ultimately offered an expression of personal gratitude to Mr Blake. 

'I will say thank you today. I want to thank NX121 and all the other firearms officers for the incredible job they do.

'They do an incredible job every single day. I want to thank not just him but all the other officers who do this on a daily basis, knowing the scrutiny they come under if god forbid somebody takes out their gun and somebody loses their life', Mr Khan stated.

However, he went on to caveat this by stating: 'When somebody loses their life after being in contact with the police, we have got to have a system of proper scrutiny and accountability'.

In the wake of Mr Blake's public naming ahead of his trial over Kaba's death, dozens of marksmen reportedly stepped back from their duties.