Police turn to death statute to charge teens who filmed drowning

The group of teenagers who filmed and mocked a man as he was drowning in a Cocoa pond will face charges after all, police said Friday.

• Jamel Dunn drowned in a Cocoa pond July 7
• 5 teens laughed while filming drowning, police say
• Cocoa Police turned to state death-reporting statute for charges

In a news conference, Cocoa Police Chief Michael Cantaloupe did not describe the charges that will be filed against the five teenagers who recorded and mocked 31-year-old Jamel Dunn as he drowned July 7. But he said that after looking long and hard at Florida law, the teens would face charges for not reporting a death.

He said that there's no law requiring to report to officials that someone is dying. But after someone has died, people are required to contact authorities.

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