ACLU-TN Statement on Daniel Hambrick Shooting

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 30, 2018

CONTACT
ACLU-TN Communications, (615) 320-7142

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A Metro Nashville police officer fatally shot Nashville resident Daniel Hambrick late last week. The 25-year-old officer, Andrew Delke, was white and Hambrick, also 25, was Black. No body camera or dash camera footage of the shooting exists and the full details of the interaction remain unclear. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating.

American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee executive director Hedy Weinberg released the following statement in response:

“The ACLU of Tennessee extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of Daniel Hambrick.

While details are still emerging, Mr. Hambrick’s death at the hands of police raises serious questions. What de-escalation tactics, if any, were used? How did this stop escalate to the point where the officer chose to use deadly force? Trained police officers should use the least amount of force necessary.

Why, despite a 2017 Metro Council resolution requesting enough body cameras to cover, among other locations, the North Nashville neighborhood where Mr. Hambrick was shot — and more than a year after the Metro Council approved $15 million in funding for body and dashboard cameras — have only 20 been installed? The police department must act swiftly to deploy more body cameras, with policies in place both to protect privacy and to ensure public access to footage related to the use of excessive force.

For decades the ACLU of Tennessee and other organizations have also called for implementation of an independent community oversight board, with robust power to investigate and hold law enforcement accountable. Mr. Hambrick’s tragic death underscores the need for such a substantial and common-sense reform.

While de-escalation training, body cameras and an independent community oversight board are not cure-alls, these initial steps are vital to increase transparency, promote police accountability, and help ensure interactions with community members are fair and lawful.”

Community Oversight Now is collecting petition signatures to put an amendment establishing a community oversight board in Nashville on the November ballot. This amendment calls for a board with “independent authority to investigate allegations of misconduct by The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD), offer and implement remedies to police accountability, and issue advisory and resolution reports to institutions involved in public safety and the administration of justice.”

Signatures are being collected through Tuesday, July 31 at 6 p.m. and signed petitions can be returned to Alkebu-Lan Books, Casa Azafrán, City Road Chapel United Methodist Church, The Grilled Cheeserie or OMG in Nashville. The petition can be found on the Community Oversight Now Google Drive at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0By1DcUkYjPiEaDluTE90dTZDS0xjQWZwMVdfZkVVSWdZdjJn/view