Her anger and frustration were felt by others Friday, too.
Many community activists wanted Delke to go to trial and face a far stiffer penalty for killing Hambrick. They want changes to the Nashville police department and the city s criminal justice system, which they ve been repeatedly calling for since the shooting.
“A three-year sentence is unheard of, Sam Hambrick III, Daniel Hambrick’s cousin, said at a news conference later in the morning Friday. This is insane. We did not get justice today. It’s not fair. We didn’t get a chance. A fair chance is all we want.”
A white Nashville police officer charged with murder in the fatal shooting of a Black man reached a deal with prosecutors and will plead guilty to manslaughter, according to an attorney representing the victim s family.
Officer Andrew Delke will serve a three-year sentence for shooting Daniel Hambrick three times in the back during a July 2018 foot chase, according to the family attorney. Prosecutors have not confirmed the details of the deal.
The shooting, caught on video, shook the community and sparked a passionate, unresolved debate over police violence, systemic racism and the true meaning of public safety.
Delke maintained his innocence for years, saying he shot in self defense after he saw Hambrick, 25, holding a gun. He will appear in court Friday morning to confirm a guilty plea, according to his defense attorney David Raybin.