A year on from his death, the family of a man shot dead by the police have taken their search for answers about his killing to Parliament.

At an event held in the House of Commons to remember the life of Chris Kaba, his mother, father and cousin shared their memories of the 24-year-old.

Mr Kaba died the day after he was hit by a single gunshot in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022.

The family, flanked by activists, and members of parliament, also reinforced their call for the Crown Prosecution Service to charge the officer involved in the case.

“Chris was so loving, so energetic,” remembered his father Prosper, who told stories about being called in the middle of the night to help Mr Kaba’s friends and also about how he used to take him to football games when he was a youngster.

“He always liked helping people, he was always there for people to make sure that everyone was happy.”

His mother Helen, who has suffered health problems since the incident, added: “Even right now, I feel like it happened yesterday.

“I miss him a lot, especially when I go to sleep. He always asked me, ‘Mum, are you okay’. He always wanted to make sure I am fine, I am happy.”

Speaking through tears, Prosper also talked about the impact his son’s death has had on his day-to-day life.

Read more:
Family of Chris Kaba criticise ‘unacceptable’ delay in charging decision
Police officer could face criminal charges over Chris Kaba’s shooting

“Sometimes I go to work and I start crying, then I have to go home, ” he said. “Life became meaningless. I will miss him until my last day.”

Mr Kaba was killed after the car he was driving was followed through south London by an unmarked police car with no lights or sirens.

He then turned into Kirkstall Gardens, a narrow residential street, where there was a collision between the vehicle he was in and a marked police car that was waiting for him at the scene.

The police officer who was in that marked vehicle is now referred to as NX121 for legal reasons. The marksman fired one shot through the windscreen, hitting Mr Kaba in the head.

It later emerged that the Audi the 24-year-old was driving, which did not belong to him, had been linked by police to a firearms incident the previous day.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct then opened an investigation into the case, which lasted nearly seven months, before handing over a file of evidence to the CPS in March.

They will decide whether to charge the officer. Chris’s family and the campaigners who support them say the lengthy legal process is unacceptable.

Deborah Coles, director of the charity Inquest, which supports bereaved families, told Sky News: “The fact that the family were promised that this would be treated with the utmost urgency and that they are still waiting a year on for a decision is quite frankly shameful.

“What the delay does, and I think it’s something that people sometimes forget, is it exacerbates the trauma and the grieving process for families who really can’t begin to grieve until they know the truth about how their loved one died.”

That sentiment has been shared by the family, who have been thrust into becoming campaigners.

Speaking before the event, Chris’s cousin Sheeda, who is on the campaign team, said: “We’re still trying to do normal stuff, we have been forced into campaigning, so it’s difficult.

“It’s been a year that we still have to operate through grief and trauma.

“It’s important for us to always remember Chris, not just today, but every day,” she added.

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The CPS said it did not provide timescales for charging decisions and prosecutors were “carefully considering the file of evidence”.

A CPS spokeswoman said: “As always, we will make that decision independently, based on the evidence and in line with our legal test.”

This weekend, the Justice For Chris Kaba campaign will take to the streets once again, with a protest that begins at noon on Saturday at New Scotland Yard before heading toward the Houses of Parliament.

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