Report shows Nashville police officer who shot and killed Black man stopped more Black drivers than white on patrol

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In a new study, a Vanderbilt sociologist has found that a White Metro Nashville police officer charged with criminal homicide of 25-year-old Black man, was stopping Black drivers more than whites.

—High school officials concerned after student brawl turns into ‘race riot’—

Officer Andrew Delke was charged with criminal homicide after shooting Daniel Hambrick twice in the back and once in the back of the head as Hambrick fled on July 26^th.

Peter Vielehr examined Metro Police data to support work on a Driving While Black report, which showed a disparity in how Delke particularly was stopping Black drivers more often. What can’t be determined is whether the stops were deliberate, according to Nashville Public Radio.

“We can show that there is a really substantial racial disparity between black and white drivers in Nashville,” Vielehr said. “What we can’t show is that officers are intentionally targeting black drivers.”

As Vielehr compiled more department-wide data to make comparisons to Delke’s particular policing trend, it raised concerns. The findings were published on his website.

“I find that in the majority of zones that he is patrolling he is making more stops of Black drivers than the average officer,” Vielehr said.

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“In general, Officer Delke’s traffic stops and vehicle searches paint a picture of an officer who stopped and searched Black drivers more aggressively than his peers,” Vielehr writes in his report.

“It probably should have had increased attention before he had an adverse encounter,”  Vielehr said of Delke’s stop and search rates.

Questions after the Shooting

A video was released showing the Nashville police officer fatally shooting Hambrick 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 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.

“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.”