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Nashville police release video showing fatal shootout between woman and officer
Metropolitan Nashville Police video screenshot

Nashville police release video showing fatal shootout between woman and officer

The two shot each other during a traffic stop, leaving the woman dead and the officer hospitalized

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has released body camera and dashcam video footage showing a shootout between an officer and a female suspect during a traffic stop, which left the woman dead and the officer recovering in a hospital.

What are the details?

At around 9:30 a.m. Friday, Officer Josh Baker pulls over a black Chevrolet Camaro that is owned by a man who was wanted on six outstanding warrants. But the owner of the vehicle was not in the car, which was being driven by Nika Holbert, 31.

Baker, a 14-year veteran of the police force, explains to Holbert in the video that she was stopped because of the warrants of the owner of the vehicle, and the officer proceeds to search the contents of her purse where he finds what The Daily Mail described as "a powdery substance in a small bag."

When Baker attempts to take her into custody, she refuses, saying, "I haven't done anything wrong," then grabbing her purse and running around the vehicle back to the driver's seat while ignoring the officer's repeated calls to "get on the ground."

Once Holbert gets back in the car, Baker can be seen deploying his TASER on the woman, before she pulls a gun and he yells, "Ma'am! Put the gun down!" before grabbing his service weapon.

The two then exchange fire, and Baker drops to the ground, notifying dispatch that shots had been fired and he was hit. Meanwhile, Holbert throws her gun on the ground in the parking lot and drives away, but only makes it about a block before losing control and crashing.

Warning: Graphic footage

Bodycam Captures Shootout Between Woman and Nashville Officer in Tennesseewww.youtube.com

WRAL-TV reported that Baker and Holbert suffered gunshot wounds, and were rushed to separate local hospitals.

Holbert died from her injuries, and Baker is in stable condition after having surgery for a gunshot wound to his torso. He is reportedly "in good spirits."

What did the police chief say?

MNPD Chief John Drake said at a news conference over the weekend that after reviewing the video footage of what transpired, Officer Baker "appeared to do everything he could to try to deescalate the situation, including the use of taser, including trying not to use his firearm," WKRN-TV reported.

On releasing the video, Chief Drake said, "I want to show that we're an accountable police department and we want to get the accurate information out there as quickly as possible, whether it's a shooting that's deemed good or one that has a lot of concerns."

He added later, "This is a dangerous job and it's a dangerous time not only here in Nashville but around the country. Violent crime is on the rise everywhere."

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