By Niara Savage
In a new development in the ongoing investigation of the shooting death of 25-year old Daniel Hambrick, Andrew Delke, the officer who shot Hambrick three times in the back, has been charged with criminal homicide.
These charges represent not only the first time in years that an on-duty Nashville officer has been charged after shooting someone, but also a step towards justice for the Hambrick family.
Daniel Hambrick was the only child of his mother, Vickie Hambrick who is legally blind. According to a cousin of the late Daniel Hambrick, she often depended on her son to help her navigate the world and overcome the unique challenges presented by her disability.
The charges against Delke hinge partly on the fact that the officer, who was supposed to be searching for stolen cars, lost track of a vehicle he had previously been following. After pulling into a parking lot with the vehicle he falsely believed was the one he had pursued earlier, Delke preceded to chase down a fleeing Hambrick, who he believed may have been associated with the misidentified vehicle.
The officer has since been released on 25,000 bond, and has been fully suspended from duty. As Delke awaits an October 30th hearing, and the nation anticipates what rebuke–if any–awaits him, the words of Daniel’s mother hang in the air: “I just want justice for my son. That’s all I’m asking. And for all the black guys and young women, I want justice for them.”
