Metro Nashville Police Department
A white Nashville police officer was charged with criminal homicide Thursday for fatally shooting a black man in the back as he ran away. Metropolitan Officer Andrew R. Delke turned himself in after an arrest warrant was issued for the July 26 shooting of Daniel Hambrick, a fatal encounter that has sparked accusations of racism against the police department. While police first released CCTV footage of the shooting in August, the arrest warrant issued Thursday provides more details on the moments that led up to it. Delke and Hambrick first crossed paths when Delke, determined to make a traffic stop, mistook Hambrick’s vehicle for one he’d been following earlier, according to the warrant. Hambrick ran when Delke approached and is said to have had a weapon in his hand. “When Mr. Hambrick continued to run away and did not drop the gun, Officer Delke decided to use deadly force,” the warrant says. Delke fired four shots, hitting Hambrick twice in the back, once in the back of his head, and striking a nearby building. Delke has been released on $25,000 bond ahead of an Oct. 30 hearing.