The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) released body camera footage from an officer who was shot while pursuing an armed auto burglary suspect Thursday afternoon from a Donelson parking lot, over a fence, and into a residential yard.
Officer Donovan Coble, 33, a 4-year MNPD veteran, is in critical-stable condition with a gunshot wound to his side. He had responded to the area on a report of an armed man breaking into vehicles. pic.twitter.com/1ivEsBMkDj
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 1, 2023
On Thursday at approximately 2:30 p.m., Hermitage Precinct Detective Donovan Coble (pictured above) and his colleagues from the Hermitage Precinct’s Community Field Intelligence Team responded to a call concerning an armed man who was breaking into cars at The Parking Spot, an airport area parking lot for travelers, according to MNPD.
Footage from Coble’s body camera shows officers encountering the suspect, Delama Casimir, 37, in a rear parking lot. He was ordered to stop, but instead ran through the lot and jumped over a wooden fence.
Detective Donovan Coble remains in critical-stable condition recovering from a gunshot wound to his side/ribs fired by a suspected car burglar. Here is Detective Coble's body camera footage: https://t.co/FvxtJVpbJ5
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 2, 2023
Coble – who was then equipped with a Taser in his hand – followed the suspect, jumped over the fence, and ordered the suspect to stop. During the chase, Coble transitioned to his pistol just before the suspect pointed a .380 semi-automatic pistol over his shoulder in Coble’s direction and fired.
Coble was shot in his side/rib area during the exchange of gunfire while the suspect went down in heavy brush. A fellow detective picked up Coble and transported him to Vanderbilt University Medical Center after he radioed that he had been shot.
SWAT officers and Hermitage Precinct officers responded to the Donelson Pike/Shacklett Drive/Claridge Drive/Upshaw Drive area to search for the suspect, who was unidentified at the time.
The suspect in this case died a short time ago at Vanderbilt. He is identified as Delama Casimir, 37, who had a FL driver license that listed an address in Pompano Beach.
— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) June 2, 2023
More body camera footage released by MNPD shows that at 3:35 p.m., SWAT Officer Tim Brewer came upon the suspect in the brush. Brewer perceived a gunshot and fired on the suspect after shouting commands to him and witnessing the .380 semi-automatic pistol.
The suspect died at 7:25 p.m. on Thursday at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
Coble, a four-year MNPD veteran, remains in critical but stable condition recovering from the gunshot wound and is expected to make a full recovery, according to MNPD.
Two days prior to the incident, Coble was named Officer of the Year by the Donelson-Hermitage Exchange Club.
– – –
Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network.
Photo “Donovan Coble” by Metro Nashville PD. Background Photo “Crime Scene” by Metro Nashville PD.
