NASHVILLE — Odessa Kelly released the following statement following the plea bargain allowing Metro Nashville Police Officer Andrew Delke to serve no more than three years for the murder of Daniel Hambrick, a Black man who was running away when the Metro officer shot him in the back three times:
“Daniel Hambrick’s mother should not have to beg a judge for justice, and no victim should have to scream through tears to stop a plea deal nobody asked her about,” Kelly said. “This isn’t justice. Our system is broken.
“We must end qualified immunity for police officers and accept no compromise. Until we do that, grieving families will continue to be denied justice. Congress must pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act with the end to qualified immunity intact.
“The next step is to pass The People’s Response Act, legislation before Congress that would urgently create nonviolent, trained emergency health responders for situations that don’t require an officer with a gun. Until we put care and justice before punishment and policing, these tragedies will continue to happen.”
