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Woman killed by police in shootout caught on body cam

Officer Josh Baker in stable condition after being rushed to local hospital

James Crump
Monday 15 March 2021 16:07 EDT
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Police bodycam captures deadly police shootout in Nashville

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A woman was fatally shot and a police officer was rushed to hospital following a shootout in a Tennessee car park that was caught on a body cam.

On Friday morning, Metro Nashville Police Officer Josh Baker pulled over Nika N Holbert, 31, into a Tennessee car park after noticing that the owner of the car, Demond M Buchanan, had six outstanding drug warrants.

After pulling the vehicle over, Mr Baker realised that Mr Buchanan was not in the car, but decided to search it with Ms Holbert initially complying with the request.

However, after the officer found marijuana and a powder substance in the vehicle, Ms Holbert’s “compliance changed” according to police spokesman Don Aaron.

Footage of the incident on Friday was released by the department over the weekend, showing the shootout unfolding after the substances were found.

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The footage shows Mr Baker chasing Ms Holbert around her car with a taser in his hand after she refuses his attempts to handcuff her.

As Ms Holbert runs towards her car, Mr Baker shouts: “Ma’am, you’re about to get tased,” and tells her to “Get down! Get down on the ground!”

Ms Holbert ignores the officer’s demands and gets back into her car, where she is then immediately tased by Mr Baker as she sits inside her vehicle.

The 31-year-old then screams for help and appears to reach for a gun located next to her as she continues to struggle with the officer.

As the struggle continues, Ms Holbert shoots Mr Baker and the officer then fires back, before falling to the ground as she drives away from the scene.

Although she was able to drive away from the car park, Ms Holbert later veered off the road and was transported to a local hospital. She later died from the injuries sustained in the shooting.

Mr Baker, who was shot beneath his bullet-resistant vest, is in a stable condition in a local hospital after undergoing surgery, according to Mr Aaron.

He confirmed that the shooting is being investigated by both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and prosecutors from the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office.

“This investigation is at the early stages and will take time to complete,” Mr Aaron said, confirming that it is a probe into use-of-force by the officer.

Nashville mayor John Cooper released a statement about the incident on Friday, writing that it is a reminder that being a “police officer anywhere can be a dangerous job.”

Mr Cooper added: “My thoughts and prayers are with officer Baker and with the families of everyone involved.” 

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