Hundreds of people poured into a church in Florida to pay their last respects to a disabled man who drowned as a group of teenagers watched and mocked him, and filmed his death rather than try to help him.
Jamel Dunn, 31, drowned on July 9 - his struggle watched by five teenagers in a park in the town of Cocoa, close to Orlando. Yet they did nothing to help and failed to call the emergency services.
They did, however, film his death and post the recording online. Mr Dunn’s body was recovered five days later after police were alerted by a friend of Mr Dunn who had seen the video.
The Associated Press said friends and relatives of the dead man asked that those attending the funeral service at the Zion Orthodox Primitive Baptist Church wear red clothes.
Some wore T-shirts that bore Mr Dunn’s face.
Florida Today said that Pastor Jarvis Wash, who officiated at the service last Saturday, discussed the circumstances of Mr Dunn’s death and said many were struggling to understand why the teenagers had not gone to his aid.
“We were lost and confused, “ said Mr Wash.
“We’re moving too fast. We need to slow down and listen.”
The funeral programme said that Mr Dunn was a “family-oriented” person who “loved to clown and crack jokes”.
“He had a strong desire for success, and was always willing to undertake new and daring enterprises,” it added.
Cocoa police have asked the state attorney’s office to consider filing criminal charges against the five teenagers under an existing state law related to not reporting a death. The state attorney’s office is reportedly reviewing that request.
