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State’s evidence against Patrick McDowell includes video showing chase, deadly confrontation

News4Jax is expected to get the evidence through a public records request in the coming weeks

Law enforcement takes Patrick McDowell, 35, into custody after he was accused of killing a Nassau County deputy. McDowell was found hiding in a concession stand at a sports complex. (Copyright 2021 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved.)

NASSAU COUNTY, Fla. – The State Attorney’s Office has provided a trove of discovery material to the defense lawyers for Patrick McDowell, the man charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of Nassau County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Joshua Moyers.

The 25-page summary says the state has videotaped statements made by McDowell, the dashcam video of the fatal shooting after a traffic stop, bodycam video of the subsequent exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers in which McDowell and a police K-9 were wounded and drone video of McDowell’s capture after a five-day manhunt.

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News4Jax is expected to get the evidence through a public records request in the coming weeks but we were able to see some of the evidence in person on Tuesday.

The dashcam video from Moyers’ SUV shows the traffic stop in Callahan Moyers can be seen walking towards the van and standing and next to it while talking to the driver for several minutes. There are also crime scene photos from the next morning.

Several interviews with McDowell were given to the defense, but News4Jax does not know the contents.

The prosecution also provided the defense multiple interviews with the woman who was with McDowell that night in the van. For now, the trial judge has ordered that her name not be released.

Deputy Josh Moyers' handcuffs were used when arresting Patrick McDowell after a five-day search of western Nassau County. (Photo provided to WJXT)

According to McDowell’s arrest report, the woman told investigators that McDowell shot Moyers that night, but in a letter to someone in jail, the state’s star witness proclaimed McDowell’s innocence. It’s not clear to who the letter was addressed.

RELATED: I-TEAM: Who is Patrick McDowell, man accused in Nassau deputy’s shooting?

The bodycam video showing the exchange of gunfire between McDowell and law enforcement is dramatic.

In the video, K-9 Chaos can be seen picking up McDowell’s trail in the woods in the hours after the shooting. After the dog starts barking, gunshots can be heard and the dog yelps in pain. Multiple officers then fire their rifles in unison into the darkness. Despite dozens of shots fired, McDowell was found days later hiding out at a Callahan sports complex with only two minor flesh wounds.

In the drone video of McDowell’s capture at the sports complex, McDowell can be seen crawling out of the concession stand and then being subdued by K-9 Huk.

Also included in the evidence are texts back and forth from McDowell and his mother while he was on the run.

Interviews with McDowell’s girlfriend Brieana Tole, who is accused of trying to help McDowell escape capture, are also included.

If convicted, McDowell faces a possible death sentence. His next court appearance is set for Jan. 6.


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