As the dog days of summer come to an end, controversial police shootings continue to occur, this time in Nashville, Tennessee. On July 26, 2018, Daniel Hambrick, 25, was stopped by Officer Andrew Delke for a traffic violation. At some point, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), an altercation occurred and Hambrick allegedly had a dark object in his hand which was perceived to be a gun.
Hambrick fled from the altercation and a foot chase begans with Delke in close pursuit and backup in route. According to the news outlet the Tennessean, footage from a school’s CCTV cameras caught part of the chase and the shooting.
The video, which was just released, shows Officer Delke shooting four times hitting Hambrick three times in the back as he was running away at a distance of around 40 yards.
The video initially shows Delke walking away then approaching Hambrick as backup reaches the scene. Although police say a gun was found at the scene, it is unclear if one is seen in the video. The TBI released the video in response to public pressure for answers and the family of Hambrick and the community is not happy. The family’s lawyer, Jo Kimbrough, stated to media, “The police officer fired four times, three of those bullets ripped Daniel apart. He fell to the ground, where he was cuffed and left, left there like a dog. Worse than a dog. I’m a criminal defense attorney. If there is ever a case of premeditated first-degree murder, this is it.”
The family and the NAACP are requesting that the FBI open a civil rights probe into the shooting. In addition, they are demanding that Officer Delke be arrested and charged with murder. Surveillance footage of the police shooting of Daniel Hambrick can be seen below.
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