23-Year-Old Black Man Shot & Killed By Police In South London (UPDATE)

UPDATE: The man who was shot and killed by police has been named as Chris Kaba (pictured).

Kaba was a rapper—known to UK drill fans as Madix, a member of the hit-making crew 67—and was expecting his first child.

“This is crazy,” one of his friends at the scene told MyLondon. “I saw [Chris] just on Sunday when we watched the Manchester United game together. Now he’s not here. I know him from football. This is mad.”

Another friend, who wished to remain anonymous, said while crying: “There’s a bullet hole in the windscreen. He wasn’t given a chance. Police had blocked him in—where could he have gone? That’s what a Taser is for.”

Original story below.

A man in his 20s has been shot dead by police following a car chase in South London. 

The “suspect” vehicle was stopped following “tactical contact” on Monday (Sept. 5) in Kirkstall Gardens, Streatham Hill, according to a statement released by Lambeth Police. A police firearm was discharged and a male occupant of the vehicle sustained a gunshot injury, the report added.

The unnamed man received first aid from officers at the scene and was taken to hospital where he died shortly after midnight, per the BBC. While circumstances of the pursuit are not yet clear, cordons and road closures remain in place while police carry out their investigation.

Local residents reported hearing loud gunshots and a police helicopter hovering overhead. “I was in bed and heard what sounded like two gunshots in quick succession, then saw flashing lights through the curtains,” said Rachel Cook, who lives nearby. “It’s a very quiet residential street and people are very shook up about it.”

The Independent Office for Police Conduct said in a statement: “The IOPC has commenced an independent inquiry into an incident involving armed officers from the Metropolitan Police in Lambeth, South London, last night. At this early point, it is thought that a man was fatally shot during the police reaction to complaints of a suspicious car.

“We were told by the MPS of the occurrence just after 11pm, and shortly before midnight we initiated an independent investigation. IOPC investigators were dispatched to the incident scene and post-incident procedures to collect evidence. Our thoughts and condolences are with everyone affected by this tragic event. Our inquiry is still in its earliest phases.”

This story will be updated as more information comes in.