Onlookers Who Recorded Drowning Man on Cellphone, Taunted Him as He Went Under, Won’t Be Prosecuted

A group of four minors and one adult were charged last year after they recorded video of a man drowning in a central Florida pond and taunted him as he struggled to stay afloat — and even as he went below the surface for the final time. . .

Police said the individuals in question were on the bank of a pond in Cocoa last July when Jamel Dunn, 31, walked into the water and soon was struggling.

At one point Dunn was clearly heard crying out before his head went under the water — and that was the moment the observers seemed to enjoy most, as they responded with laughter and more mocking commentary. . .

The onlookers heard in the video were charged with violating an obscure law titled Failure to Notify the Medical Examiner of a Death, the station said, but after 11 months State Attorney Phil Archer said there was no way to move forward with prosecutions.

“Unfortunately, Florida law does not address this behavior, and we are ethically restrained from pursuing criminal charges,” Archer told WESH. “If the Legislature wishes to criminalize the conduct in this case, then new legislation will be required.” (Read more from “Onlookers Who Recorded Drowning Man on Cellphone, Taunted Him as He Went Under, Won’t Be Prosecuted” HERE)

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