Scotland Yard has confirmed that an increasing number of firearms officers in the Capital have decided to "step back" from armed duties, in protest at the decision to charge one of their colleagues with murder.
The move has plunged the Met's Firearms Command into crisis, as senior officers work on ways of filling the roles of those protesting officers.
GB News understands as many as 100 Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFO), the Met's most elite firearms unit, have decided to step away from armed duties.
It follows a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge a firearms officer with murder over the death of Chris Kaba, who was fatally shot in an armed police operation in south London in September last year.
The 24 year old was driving a car linked to a gun crime incident, when armed police stopped the vehicle in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022.
During the operation to detain Kaba, an officer discharged his weapon, striking the young construction worker in the head. He died in hospital in the early hours of the next morning.
A firearms officer, known only as NX121 to protect his identity, appeared in court on Thursday charged with murder.
The move has enraged fellow armed officers, who believe it signals a change in the way their split second decisions will be judged, and exposes them to an increasing possibility of prosecution.
In one text exchange from a Specialist Firearms Officer, seen by GB News, the officer wrote: "Mass walk out mate. I've handed my ticket in.Only 8 CTSFOs have their cards out of 100. My whole team have handed it in."
The officer went on to say how he believed it was "disgraceful, how they treated him" in reference to the colleague facing a murder charge.
The Met has around 3000 firearms officers across London, and has the capacity to fill the roles officers have stepped back from.
But there is real concern the protest action could spread within the Capital's firearms division and beyond.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "Senior officers, including the commissioner, have been meeting with firearms officers in recent days as they reflect on the CPS decision to charge NX121 with murder.
"Many are worried about how the decision impacts on them, on their colleagues, and on their families.
"A number of officers have taken the decision to step back from arm duties while they consider the position. That number has increased over the past 48 hours.
"We are in ongoing discussions with those officers to support them onto fully understand the genuinely health concerns they have.
"The Met has a significant firearms capability, and we continue to have armed officers deployed in communities across London, as well as at other sites, including Parliament, diplomatic premises and airports."
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Scotland Yard has confirmed that an increasing number of firearms officers in the Capital have decided to "step back" from armed duties, in protest at the decision to charge one of their colleagues with murder.
The move has plunged the Met's Firearms Command into crisis, as senior officers work on ways of filling the roles of those protesting officers.
GB News understands as many as 100 Counter Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers (CTSFO), the Met's most elite firearms unit, have decided to step away from armed duties.
It follows a decision by the Crown Prosecution Service to charge a firearms officer with murder over the death of Chris Kaba, who was fatally shot in an armed police operation in south London in September last year.
The 24 year old was driving a car linked to a gun crime incident, when armed police stopped the vehicle in Streatham Hill on 5 September 2022.
During the operation to detain Kaba, an officer discharged his weapon, striking the young construction worker in the head. He died in hospital in the early hours of the next morning.
A firearms officer, known only as NX121 to protect his identity, appeared in court on Thursday charged with murder.
The move has enraged fellow armed officers, who believe it signals a change in the way their split second decisions will be judged, and exposes them to an increasing possibility of prosecution.
In one text exchange from a Specialist Firearms Officer, seen by GB News, the officer wrote: "Mass walk out mate. I've handed my ticket in.Only 8 CTSFOs have their cards out of 100. My whole team have handed it in."
The officer went on to say how he believed it was "disgraceful, how they treated him" in reference to the colleague facing a murder charge.
The Met has around 3000 firearms officers across London, and has the capacity to fill the roles officers have stepped back from.
But there is real concern the protest action could spread within the Capital's firearms division and beyond.
In a statement, the Metropolitan Police said: "Senior officers, including the commissioner, have been meeting with firearms officers in recent days as they reflect on the CPS decision to charge NX121 with murder.
"Many are worried about how the decision impacts on them, on their colleagues, and on their families.
"A number of officers have taken the decision to step back from arm duties while they consider the position. That number has increased over the past 48 hours.
"We are in ongoing discussions with those officers to support them onto fully understand the genuinely health concerns they have.
"The Met has a significant firearms capability, and we continue to have armed officers deployed in communities across London, as well as at other sites, including Parliament, diplomatic premises and airports."
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