Chris Kaba: Government to revive police firearms review

Reacting to the verdict Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said no police officer was above the law but said the force had been clear “the system holding police to account is broken”.

“I worry about the lack of support officers face for doing their best, but most of all, I worry for the public,” he said.

“The more we crush the spirit of good officers, the less they can fight crime – that risks London becoming less safe.”

Abimbola Johnson, a barrister on a scrutiny board set up by the National Police Chiefs Council in the summer to boost confidence among minority ethnic people, warned against using the Kaba case to push for legislative change.

“It is already extremely rare for us to see police officers being prosecuted under the criminal justice system for action they have conducted whilst in the line of duty,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

She added: “This is not a typical case, therefore, using this as a reason to push for legislative change, it doesn’t make sense, because this isn’t normally what would happen throughout the process.”