NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Officials in Tennessee have agreed to pay $2.25 million to settle a lawsuit filed by the family of a Black man who was fatally shot by a white police officer from behind during a 2018 foot chase.
The Nashville Metro Council approved the record civil settlement Tuesday without discussion in the fatal shooting of Daniel Hambrick, 25, by Officer Andrew Delke, news outlets reported.
In a statement on behalf of Hambrick’s family, attorneys Joy Kimbrough and Kyle Mothershead expressed disappointment with the amount, but said they appreciated the city has taken at least “modest accountability” in his death.
Delke’s defense attorney, David Raybin, said the civil settlement would have no effect on the criminal case against the officer, who remains charged with first-degree murder in the July 2018 shooting and is slated for a July trial.
The city says it and Delke, 27, aren’t admitting wrongdoing or liability with the settlement.
Delke’s attorney has said the officer acted in line with his training and Tennessee law in response to “an armed suspect who ignored repeated orders to drop his gun.” District Attorney Glenn Funk has argued Delke had other alternatives, adding that the officer could have stopped, sought cover and called for help.
Vice Mayor Jim Shulman said the settlement is a step toward closure after a painful time in the city’s history.
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