VIDEO: Charges Being Pursued In Case of Teens Who Recorded Video of Jamel Dunn as He Drowned
By Space Coast Daily // July 23, 2017
teens are between the ages of 14 and 18
ABOVE VIDEO: Cocoa Police Chief Mike Cantaloupe addresses the media.“Regardless of the circumstances surrounding his decision to enter the water that day, there is absolutely no justification for what the teens did,” Chief Cantaloupe said. “Pursuing criminal charges is a way to hold them accountable for their own actions.” (WKMG Video)
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – Detectives with the Cocoa Police Criminal Investigations Division, in conjunction with the State Attorney’s Office, have determined charges will be pursued in the case of five teens who recorded video of man as he drowned, then mocked him and failed to render aid.
The teens, who are between the ages of 14 and 18, will face a charge of failure to report a death under Florida Statute 406.12. It is a misdemeanor.
“When we initially reviewed this case it was determined there were no laws broken as the teens were not directly involved with the death,” said Chief Mike Cantaloupe.
“Further research of the statutes and consultation with the State Attorney’s Office yielded the decision to move forward with charges under this statute. It’s our belief that this law has never been enforced in a scenario like this, but we feel it could be applicable.”
On July 9, a group of teens at Bracco Park witnessed a man, later identified as Jamel Dunn, 31, in the water.
They used a cell phone to record video of him as he appeared to be drowning. The teens are heard on the video taunting and laughing at Dunn whose body wasn’t discovered until July 14th.
A passerby called to report a body floating in the pond. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be drowning. Further investigation revealed Dunn went into the water willingly and on his own.
Video evidence from a neighbor’s home security camera shows him scaling a fence and intentionally going into the pond. It is not known what Dunn’s motives were at the time he went into the water.
“Regardless of the circumstances surrounding his decision to enter the water that day, there is absolutely no justification for what the teens did,” Chief Cantaloupe added. “Pursuing criminal charges is a way to hold them accountable for their own actions.”
The charging document along with the case report and video evidence was sent to the State Attorney’s Office for review and determination if the charges will be prosecuted.
WARNING! – GRAPHIC VIDEO: Some viewers may find the above video disturbing as five Brevard teens mock distressed Jamel Dunn as he drowned.
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