A new video has been released showing a Nashville police officer fatally shooting a man in the back who was running away from him. The family is demanding answers about the use of deadly force that killed the 25-year-old, the Tennessean reports.
The Nashville district attorney’s office on Wednesday released the videos of Daniel Hambrick’s last moments. Community members up-in-arms over what they believe to be an excessive use of force as he runs away.
Officer Andrew Delke, 25, has been identified as the officer in the video who shot Hambrick in the back. Because Hambrick was Black and Delke is white, some believe racial bias was a factor in the shooting.
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The incident happened on July 26. The surveillance video, obtained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, is from a nearby school. Hambrick can be seen running away from Delke who then shoots multiple times. Hambrick falls to the ground.
Hambrick was said to have been in a car with another person and when police approached, he ran away. They were reportedly stopped because the vehicle was maneuvering erratically.
The police argue that Hambrick was carrying an object, but it’s unclear from the video footage whether it was a gun. However, a gun was recovered near the scene, said TBI spokesman Josh DeVine.
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Family Reaction
The Hambrick family and the NAACP are callingfor Delke to be fired and charged with homicide.
“He shoots him repeatedly from behind,” said Jo Kimbrough, attorney for the Hambrick family. “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.”
“He was a great child,” said his mother Vickie Hambrick at a news conference. “I just want justice for my son.”
Fraternal Order of the Police
The local chapter of the Fraternal Order of the Police criticized Tennessee Bureau of Investigation officials for releasing what is calls “grainy” footage. The president of the organization, James Smallwood, said the video paints an incomplete picture and it worsens the relationship between the police and the community. He went on to say that Hambrick could have prevented his own death.
“Mr. Hambrick refused to drop the pistol,” said Smallwood. “Had he dropped his weapon and just kept running, the conclusion of that incident would be much different than what we are faced with today. I am confident that Mr. Hambrick would still be alive.”
(WARNING: Graphic violence)
