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Audio, video evidence released in case of teen held in K-9's death

Police: Jhamel Paskel shot, killed K-9 Fang after carjacking 2 women

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New evidence has been released by the State Attorney's Office in its case against a teenager accused of shooting and killing a Jacksonville Sheriff's Office K-9 during a chase that stemmed from an armed carjacking.

The discovery material obtained by the I-TEAM includes radio transmissions from the pursuit, interrogation video of the suspect and surveillance video from the 7-Eleven on Lem Turner Road where police said the carjacking occurred in the early morning hours of Sept. 30. 

Though an outside surveillance camera is out of focus, a person can be seen opening the door of a red four-door sedan parked at a gas pump. According to police, that person is 17-year-old Jhamel Paskel, who they said forced one of two women in the car to drive away as he held her at gunpoint. 

WATCH: Raw surveillance video from gas station

No description found

A short distance later, police said, Paskel ordered the women out of the car and kept driving.  

The women returned to the 7-Eleven, where they can be seen in surveillance video from inside the convenience store calling OnStar, which gave police the ability to track the car during a high-speed chase along Interstate 10.  

No description found

Officers can be heard communicating with each other and dispatch during the pursuit. 

"Canine 13. Blue light. He's fleeing lights and sirens. He's fleeing. Still westbound I-10. No traffic."

Another radio call from the same signal number then reveals the pursuit had hit speeds of more than 115 mph. 

"Canine 13. Still westbound I-10, speeds about 120. He's not going to take Chaffee so let's go ahead and see if OnStar can kill the engine, slow the car down."

As officers chased the car, OnStar remotely shut off the engine at I-10 and Cecil Commerce Center Parkway -- about 18 miles away from the gas station.

At that point, police said, Paskel got out of the car and, as he ran off, JSO K-9 Officer Matt Herrera then deploys his K-9, Fang, on what would be his last mission. 

In the radio calls, an officer can be heard yelling that the K-9 has been deployed, and then a few minutes later, that a K-9 had just been 18'd, which is the JSO code for gunshot. 

"Shots fired. Suspect. Shots fired."

"Multiple units. He just 18'd the canine. Multiple units, whatever lieutenants we can get in. Call in a canine."

"Canine 13 get him. He's in the woodline in between the exit ramp. He's signal 0. Fangs been 18'd. He's lifeless on the ground."

According to investigators, Paskel fatally shot Fang before being subdued by another police K-9 minutes later.  

Police then took Paskel downtown for interrogation.

In the police interrogation video of Paskel, which mostly consists of him sitting in the box, a detective comes in to ask if he was bitten.

Detective: "Did you get encaged by a dog? A canine, did one bite you?"
Paskel: "Yes."
Detective: "Let me see where he bit you."

Paramedics eventually come in to treat his bite wounds. 

Paramedic: "What's up slick? What you got going on? Where did he get you at? Pull your sleeves up." 

No description found

More detectives later enter the room, but Paskel lawyered up and refused to answer any questions.

Paskel is charged with killing a police dog, armed burglary, two counts of kidnapping with a firearm, fleeing a police officer and possession of a firearm by a juvenile delinquent. 

He’s being prosecuted as an adult, and is being held without bond. 

According to state of Florida statutes, killing a law enforcement canine is a third-degree felony charge that carries a prison sentence of up to five years.

Fang was about 3 years old and had been working with the officer for about two years. 


About the Authors
Tarik Minor headshot

Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.

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