We are shocked and dismayed at the death of Chris Kaba, a young black man, who was shot by police in Kirstall Gardens on Monday evening. This tragedy is devastating for his family, his friends and for our community.
The death of a young man in our borough is tragic - and it raises a series of questions which need answering, and challenges that need addressing. We are committed to working on behalf of our residents to obtain as much information as possible, and to hold the police to account. We are seeking answers from the Independent Office for Police Conduct and Met Police about what happened, when they will share vital information with our community and how they will engage locally. We will not shy away from this.
On Tuesday, I was at the scene with Lambeth’s Chief Executive, Bayo Dosunmu to speak to local people, including relatives of Chris. We returned yesterday morning to lay flowers and leave a card expressing our deepest sympathies to all impacted by this tragic loss.
We are keenly aware that this incident will have caused trauma in our community. Which is council officers have been out hand delivering a letter from us to local residents setting out, amongst other information, how residents can access support and get in touch with us, alongside information about self-care in the wake of an incident involving serious violence and weapons. Our youth and community outreach workers have been engaging across the wider community, listening to young people in particular, hearing their anger and concerns and offering support. We will continue to engage with our communities, listen and advocate for them, and we will continue to liaise with the Mayor's office and community representatives.
Councillor Claire Holland, Lambeth Council Leader