Police chief: Video ‘very disturbing’
NASHVILLE — Nashville police Chief Steve Anderson said Thursday he had ordered a review of rules surrounding foot chases after watching a “very disturbing” surveillance video showing a white officer fatally shooting a black man who was running away.
The video, released Wednesday by the district attorney’s office, shows Officer Andrew Delke firing on Daniel Hambrick during a July 26 foot pursuit in North Nashville. It shows Hambrick falling to the ground as he was running away from the officer.
Anderson said he had directed personnel at the department’s training academy to review its instructions for police foot pursuits to see if any changes should be made. It’s
possible the department would advise officers not to engage in foot pursuits every time someone runs from them.
“A situation such as this prompts us to look at certain areas,” Anderson said in an interview. “Based on events that have occurred, I want to know what the best practices are.”
The shooting, and the subsequent release of the video, have renewed claims of racial bias and excessive use of force among police.
Anderson watched the video Tuesday with Mayor David Briley.
“I understand how the public is disturbed,” Anderson said. “An officer, from what we’ve seen on the video, shot someone as they were running away.”
INVESTIGATION CONTINUES; NO CHARGES FILED AGAINST OFFICER YET
The chief confirmed Delke fired four times, hitting Hambrick three times from behind. One of the bullets hit Hambrick in the back of the head.
But Anderson said the low-resolution video did not show all the details necessary to determine if Delke committed a criminal act or if he violated police policy. The district attorney’s office and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are in the midst of a criminal investigation — District Attorney Glenn Funk has not decided if Delke will be charged with a crime.
Anderson said that, before he made any judgments about Delke’s employment, he would seek to answer one question: “Is there other information that we don’t
know that the video doesn’t show us?”
Delke remains on administrative assignment while the investigation is ongoing.
Anderson said Delke, 25, told police Hambrick, also 25, pointed a handgun at him before the officer opened fire. The video does not clearly show if Hambrick was carrying a gun, although investigators found one at the scene.
CALLS FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY
Although community activists have called for Anderson to resign and the vice mayor has suggested new leadership is needed, Anderson said he had no plans to retire. He said he was
prepared to investigate Delke’s actions and make changes to department protocol if necessary.
Even as Anderson promised a review of police policy, local activists and other groups released statements calling into question the department’s policing practices and underscoring the need for openness with the community.
Hedy Weinberg, executive director of ACLU-TN, said in a statement Thursday the video “begs the question of whether Mr. Hambrick’s tragic death was not only needless, but preventable,” noting that release of the footage by the district attorney was “a step towards” needed transparency about what transpired.
The Nashville public defender’s office also commended Funk for making the video public, urging local leaders to “talk less, listen more to community members most impacted by MNPD’s practices, and act to address the real racial injustices that exist in Nashville.”
Black Lives Matter Nashville and Community Oversight Now were among local activist groups Thursday that announced plans to hold a rally Saturday evening in solidarity with Hambrick’s family and those affected by police violence.
The rally will take place at 6 p.m. at Watkins Park, 612 17th Ave. N., across the street from where Hambrick was killed.
AUTHORITIES: DANIEL HAMBRICK RAN FROM OFFICER AFTER TRAFFIC STOP
The surveillance video released of the shooting, obtained by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation from a nearby school, shows Hambrick sprinting away from Delke.
It doesn’t appear Hambrick was facing Delke when the officer opened fire from a few dozen feet away.
As Hambrick lay on the ground, Delke can be seen walking away with his gun drawn. He appears to approach Hambrick later after another officer arrives on scene.
It’s unclear whether officers were rendering aid as they arrived and approached Hambrick.
Delke had no body camera or dashboard camera to capture the shooting, another issue for which Anderson has come under criticism in the aftermath of the shooting.
The officer’s foot pursuit of Hambrick came after Delke attempted to perform a traffic stop on the vehicle, which, TBI said, he reported was driving in an “erratic pattern” earlier in the evening.
Delke, an officer assigned to the department’s juvenile crimes task force, had been out looking for stolen vehicles in North Nashville.
After the white Chevrolet failed to stop, Delke later encountered Hambrick and two other men inside the vehicle, which was parked at the John Henry Hale public housing apartments.
The TBI reported that Hambrick exited the vehicle and ran, at which time Delke gave chase.
Natalie Allison contributed to this story.