London, Thanasis Gavos

The military has been put on standby in the UK to support the work of London’s Metropolitan Police after dozens of armed officers surrendered their weapons following the prosecution of a police officer over the murder of 24-year-old Chris Campa in Streatham Hill, south London on 6 September 2022.

The young black British builder and rapper was shot by the police officer, known simply as NX121, shortly after the collision with a police vehicle. The bullet hit him in the head after going through the windshield of the Audi he was driving.

There had been a short pursuit, as the Audi, which did not belong to the deceased, had been linked to a shooting incident that had taken place the previous day. Kamba’s death caused strong reactions and protests.

Metropolitan Police Commander Sir Mark Rowley said that following the court development he had met with 70 armed officers who were “reasonably stressed” about what the prosecution of their colleague might mean for them in the future.

A spokesman for the body added that they are “concerned that it signals a change in the way the decisions they will make in the most difficult circumstances will be judged”.

By Monday morning, more than 100 of them had finally decided to surrender their gun licenses until they had fully reconsidered their position. The Metropolitan Police has a collective 2,595 armed members.

The Ministry of Defense has confirmed that it has accepted a request from the Ministry of the Interior to provide military assistance to civilian protection authorities. This assistance will concern the work of the anti-terrorist service.

The British Home Secretary responsible for policing, Suella Braverman, has ordered an investigation into the way armed officers carry out their duties, so that, as she said in a post on X, they do not fear that they will end up in the dock simply for carrying out their duties.

Braverman expressed her “full support” for police officers who carry guns and who “risk their lives to ensure our safety.”

Those officers “must make split-second decisions under extreme pressure” and “shouldn’t fear being in the dock for doing their duty,” he added.