Jamel Dunn drowned in a pond in Cocoa Beach as a group of teens filmed his dying moments and never sought help. (Brevard County Sheriff's Office via AP)
A group of teens who recorded and mocked a disabled man as he drowned in Florida last week have been formally charged for their role in his death, authorities said on Friday.
The charges against the five teenagers who recorded and made fun of Jamel Dunn, 31, as he drowned in a pond on July 7, were not detailed in a press conference, News 13 reported.
But Cocoa Police Chief Michael Cantaloupe said there's no law requiring people to report to officials that someone is dying. After someone has died, however, people are required to contact authorities, he said.
Police are currently in the process of filing paperwork to the state’s attorney’s office, Cantaloupe said.
TEENS FILMED, LAUGHED WHILE MAN SLOWLY DROWNED, AUTHORITIES SAY
In the video, Dunn could be seen struggling to stay above the water in a Cocoa pond as the teens, who are between the ages of 14 and 16, watched, laughed and mocked him.
"Ain't nobody going to help you, you dumb *****; you shouldn't have got in there," one of the teens can be heard saying in the video.
Dunn later drowned.
The names of the teenagers involved in the incident were not released to the public.
Police initially said that the teens were unlikely to face any charges since they weren’t directly involved in Dunn’s death.
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