Who was Nika Holbert? Tennessee woman found with drugs crashes and dies after shooting cop at point-blank range
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE: A routine stop by traffic cop Josh Baker turned deadly in Nashville on March 12. Baker was shot after stopping Nika Holbert, who was driving a vehicle registered to an individual who has six outstanding drug warrants. After being shot, he managed to return fire killing Holbert who was resisting arrest. Bodycam footage from the incident has been released by the Metropolitan Police showed the incident.
Baker attempted to detain Holbert after he found a powdery substance and marijuana in her bag. As she resisted arrest, he first used his taser on Holbert, who then pulled out a handgun. "Ma'am, put the gun down!" Baker yells. He is shot in the torso and returns fire before collapsing on the ground. Holbert managed to make it to a nearby intersection before losing control and crashing. She was pronounced dead on arrival at Skyline Medical Centre.
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It is unclear how Holbert knew Demond Buchanan, a 42-year-old convicted felon who owns the Camaro she was driving. It is also unclear if the drugs Baker found belongs to Holbert, or if they were Buchanan's.
Who was Nika Holbert?
Nika Nicole Holbert is a 31-year-old resident of Madison, Tennessee with a long criminal record. A rap sheet released by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has listed multiple offenses committed by Holbert, from driving under a revoked license to public indecency and for using an altered or false document. She also has a felony drug charge from 2010. The sheet indicates that her last interaction with law enforcement was in 2017, when she was charged with public indecency.
She reportedly had a troubled childhood. Not much else is known about Holbert. In an interview, Holbert's adoptive mother, Lisa Holbert-Gooch has defended her daughter. "He was trying to kill her with that taser and she was trying to protect herself," she told News Channel 5 Nashville. In another interview with News 4, she said, "I'm not understanding how this turned into a shooting." She is now reportedly in the process of hiring an attorney and considering her legal options.
Baker is recovering well
The incident occurred at a Dollar General parking lot in Brick Church Pike. Baker stopped the car realizing the owner had outstanding warrants. At the time, Holbert was on the phone with her mother. Baker was shot just below his bulletproof vest. He was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center for surgery. The 14-year-old veteran is now recovering in hospital and in "good spirits" according to Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) Chief John Drake.
Drake has defended Baker, telling WKRN "He seemed to be doing everything he could to add to the situation, including using the Taser, including trying not to use his weapon." The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is currently investigating the situation and will present its report to the state Attorney General. The MNPD has released the bodycam footage in hope of convincing the public that Baker's actions were appropriate.