Man shot dead by police in south London 'was set to become father'

A man who was shot dead by police after a chase in south London was set to become a father, his fiancee's mother has said.

Chris Kaba, who was in his 20s, died in hospital in the early hours of Tuesday morning after being shot at about 10pm on Monday night in Streatham Hill.

The police watchdog, which is investigating the incident, said a single round had been fired by armed officers.

Metropolitan Police officers said they used a tactic where they deliberately crash into a car in an attempt to bring the chase to an end in Kirkstall Gardens, a residential road.

Some paying tribute at the scene said Mr Kaba was a rapper known as Madix or Mad Itch 67.

But Kim Alleyne, whose daughter Karimah Waite was engaged to Mr Kaba, said this was not true and that he had an apprenticeship to become an architect.

She said: "He was so loved. He was so funny. He was super kind. Crazy. He was always happy. He'd do anything for you.

"He was a fiance, he was due to get married in five months' time. He's got a baby on the way that he's never going to see.

"It's horrible and so shocking and so sad."

Ms Alleyne questioned why police shot Mr Kaba, and added her daughter "is in a tremendous amount of pain".

She added: "She cannot process her feelings because it's a type of pain that you cannot explain. The baby is due in November.

"If that was a white boy, he would have got a chance to get out the car."

Jefferson Bosela, who said he was Mr Kaba's cousin, said the driver was a musician who went by the stage name "Itch".

He added: "He was a good person, a good, happy guy. He didn't deserve that. No one deserves that.

"Nobody deserves to be shot by the police, whether they are a good person or a bad person."

Police said Mr Kaba received first aid from officers at the scene before being taken to hospital, but he died at 12.16am.

A 39-year-old man, who lives on nearby New Park Road and asked not to be named, said: "The (driver) drove up New Park Road and turned up Kirkstall Gardens.

"A police car came down Kirkstall Gardens and crashed into him.

"Another police car came in behind him and they had him locked in at the bottom of Kirkstall Gardens.

"The car was immobile when he was shot."

Another witness told the Evening Standard that the man who was shot, driving an Audi, tried to ram his way past the police cars.

Cordons are in place on Kirkstall Gardens and New Park Road, with a forensic tent put up and officers gathering evidence at the scene.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said it had collected footage from police vehicles, a police helicopter and officers' body-worn video as part of its investigation into the incident.

IOPC London regional director Sal Naseem said: "When the police use fatal force it is important that there is a robust, independent investigation to establish all of the circumstances surrounding what happened.

"It is natural that the community wants answers quickly but I would ask that people refrain from speculation that may be unhelpful to all of those affected.

"I want to reassure everyone concerned by this incident that our investigators are working hard to establish the entire sequence of events which resulted in this man's death."