Nashville officer Andrew Delke has been charged with homicide in the shooting death of Daniel Hambrick. In response, officials and organizations have released the following statements:
Nashville Police Shooting: Officer Charged With Homicide
Metro Police Chief Steve Anderson
“The July 26th death of Daniel Hambrick was a tragedy. I have publicly expressed my condolences to his mother. Certainly, no parent should have to grieve the loss of a son or daughter.
The events of July 26th have also forever impacted Officer Andrew Delke and his family. Our community and this police department have been lastingly affected as well.
It is not proper for me at this time to discuss the events of July 26th. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has deferred to the District Attorney and the TBI all aspects of this investigation. Therefore, this department’s administrative investigation into the fatal shooting of Daniel Hambrick is open but on hold. As we learn more, the administrative investigation will proceed.
Because of today’s action, Officer Delke, who has been working a desk job, has, by protocol, been decommissioned.
I have long had great respect for, and confidence in, the justice system in Davidson County and the State of Tennessee. That respect and confidence remains. It has been my experience that as the justice process proceeds, all of the facts and circumstances concerning an investigation will become known.”
Nashville Mayor David Briley
“In August, I spoke with Daniel Hambrick's mother to express my condolences for her loss. I assured her that we would show respect for the life of her son, because his life mattered. At that time, Ms. Hambrick asked for justice for Daniel. The District Attorney's decision to file charges in this case is a necessary step toward that end.
I don't control what happens in individual criminal cases, but I will continue to work toward creating a fair, open and transparent criminal justice system. This does not mean that every time an officer is charged with a crime or accused of misconduct, the officer will be found guilty. Metro-Nashville Police Officers put their lives on the line every day. It is an incredibly difficult job. I fully support our Police. However, officers will be required to account for their actions when they have been accused of misconduct. Put simply, we must have laws that are fairly, equally and transparently applied.”
District Attorney’s Office
"This morning I requested TBI Special Agent in Charge Russ Winkler to obtain a warrant charging officer Andrew Delke with criminal homicide. The decision to institute charges by warrant as opposed to presenting the matter directly to a Grand Jury allows this case to be presented in open court in as transparent a manner as possible, because Grand Jury proceedings are secret and not open to the public. As this is a pending criminal case, I will have no further extrajudicial comments."
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
"We investigated this case as we do all others: We gathered relevant evidence, information, and interviews, compiled a detailed set of facts, and presented those facts to the District Attorney General for his further review and consideration.
Ultimately, it is the District Attorney General’s decision to determine the next step in the process, and for that reason, we would direct additional questions about General Funk’s decision – and this case – to his office."
ACLU-TN
“The arrest of Officer Delke for the killing of Daniel Hambrick is a crucial first step in setting the wheels of accountability and justice in motion. Officer Delke must receive due process during the proceedings. However, the arrest in and of itself sends an important – yet all too rare – message to the community that nobody is above the law.”
Community Oversight Now
"We are encouraged by today's move toward accountability with the indictment of Officer Andrew Delke by Metro Nashville DA Glenn Funk for the July 26, 2018 homicide of Daniel Hambrick. We stand with his family and the community that was traumatized by his death.
While the news is encouraging in regards to this decision, Community Oversight Now reinstates its
insistence there be independent oversight of policing in Nashville. There has long been a call for more transparency in the investigations, training and misconduct of Nashville police officers. There has been a tone-deaf response by all departments of local government involved regarding police actions. The video footage of Delke’s execution of Hambrick was horrifying. Shooting a man in the back who is unarmed and in the process of running away from an officer is entirely unacceptable.The February 10, 2017 shooting of Jocques Clemmons reignited a call for independent oversight of
policing when Officer Joshua Lippert fired three shots into the back of Mr. Clemmons as he ran from a traffic stop. This came on the heels of eight disciplinaries that found Lippert had been written up for overly aggressive responses to citizens when detaining them. In the case of Andrew Delke there are equally egregious documented violations where he went well beyond any reasonable response when seeking to detain persons.The coalition of organizations called Community Oversight Now, and thousands of Nashville citizens, worked tirelessly on a referendum that allows voters to decide on the oversight process. With the decision today to indict Officer Delke we are both grateful for the indictment and convinced moving toward this referendum was the right thing to do. When Nashville votes on November 6th, the democratic process can maintain this momentum by voting FOR Amendment 1."
Black Lives Matter
"We're pleased to learn that Glenn Funk and the District Attorney's office have done their job and prosecuted Officer Andrew Delke. The community is watching and, after strange circumstances involving the magistrate who initially ruled there was no sufficient evidence for a prosecution, our faith in Nashville's criminal justice system is not strong. This lack of faith is further evidenced by the low bond of $25,000 set for Officer Delke.
It's unfortunate that the family of Daniel Hambrick has to go through this process and relive the death of their loved one. Ultimately, no prosecution or conviction is justice. Justice is Daniel Hambrick being alive today. While the process continues to play out, we are committed to establishing a community oversight board in Nashville and encourage Nashvillians to vote FOR Amendment 1 on November 6th."
Fraternal Order of Police
