A badly decomposed body was found in a pond in a Cocoa park last Friday. Jamel Dunn, 32, a disabled man who walked with a cane, was screaming for help while drowning in a pond. A group of teens aged between 14 and 16 years old had watched, capturing the man’s final moments before he drowned. The Video has now been released.
Teenagers laugh and mock disabled man as he drowns
According to a Cocoa Police Department spokeswoman, Yvonne Martinez, Dunn had been involved in an argument in the park with his fiancée, Dondanielle Williams, shortly prior to the incident.
As reported by Florida Today, after Williams had left the park to run errands, Dunn waded out into the water, while the group of teenagers watched him from the other side of the pond. According to Martinez, the teens had been smoking marijuana and started capturing the incident on video, laughing and mocking Dunn and watching as he drowned. Martinez said everyone is horrified over the shocking incident.
Teens capture video as man drowns
In the video included below, one teenager can be heard yelling at Dunn, telling him to get out of the water or he will die. Another joined in saying nobody was planning on helping Dunn, using expletives to insult the disabled man.
Someone told Dunn there might be an alligator in the water. As noted by the New York Daily News, when Dunn’s head eventually disappeared under the water, another teenager commented that Dunn had just died. The teenagers then left the scene after not attempting to help Dunn and without taking the time to call 911.
The video footage is included here but readers are warned it contains strong language and may be upsetting to sensitive viewers.
Man reported missing on July 12
Dunn’s fiancée had reported him missing on July 12, after he didn’t return home. This led police to discover his badly decomposed body on Friday last week. At the time, foul play was not suspected in Dunn’s drowning. However, one of Dunn’s friends saw the disturbing video on social media and contacted police.
After questioning by detectives, the teenagers who had watched and filmed his death on July 9 were identified.
Teenagers showed no remorse
According to a spokesman for the Brevard County State Attorney’s office, the teenagers showed little remorse for their actions. However, it is unlikely they will face any charges, as there is insufficient evidence to show they were involved in the drowning.
Dunn’s family has since launched a GoFundMe page to cover his funeral expenses.
Dunn’s sister, Simone Scott, posted on social media about the way her brother had been treated, as well as the lack of charges against the teens. She said her brother was disabled and walked with a cane and while she agrees the teens weren’t forced to help him, they could at least have called 911. Dunn was reportedly the father of two young daughters and was known as a giving and good person.