A Tennessee woman was shot dead and a cop was rushed into surgery following a shootout in a parking lot during a traffic stop. Police have released body camera and dashboard camera footage of the gory shootout Friday morning encounter between Metro Nashville Police Officer Josh Baker and Nika N Holbert, 31.
Holbert who was driving a Black Chevrolet Camaro, was stopped by Baker and ordered to come out when she yelled and reached out for a handgun, opening fire on the officer, who shoots back and fatally wounded the women, the footage shows. The officer was seen tasing the woman before the deadly shootout.
Shocking Encounter
On Friday morning, Baker pulled over Holbert 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, Baker realized that Buchanan was not in the car, but decided to search it with Holbert initially complying with the request.
The video shows Baker deploying his Taser on the woman while ordering her to get out of a car. Hobart initially cooperates but then starts yelling. The 14-year veteran cop then tries to take Hobart into custody but she starts shouting: "Don't put me in handcuffs! I haven't done anything wrong!"
She then jumps back in the driver's seat and reaches for a handgun. "Ma'am, put the gun down!" Baker yells at the woman but without giving him a chance she opens fire on the officer. The officer shoots in return and fatally wounds Holbert, the intense footage shows. Baker immediately collapses as the black Camaro pulls out of the parking lot and speeds away.
Narrow Escape
Baker then calls for backup, telling a dispatcher "shots fired" as Holbert drives off, the clip shows. He also informed the dispatchers that the round had gone beneath his bulletproof vest.
Holbert, however, after firing the gunshot tried to flee by throwing away her semi-automatic pistol in the parking lot and moved toward an intersection, a block away before losing control and crashing on the side of the road.
She suffered a gunshot wound in the fracas and was pronounced dead at Skyline Medical Center, police said. Baker, who was hit in the torso, underwent surgery and was in stable condition.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has launched an investigation into the fatal shooting and will share its findings with the District Attorney General. Chief Drake said that upon reviewing the bodycam and dashcam video recordings, he felt that Baker acted in accordance with department policy.
"He appeared to do everything he could to try to deescalate the situation, including the use of Taser, including trying not to use his firearm," Drake told WKRN.
