Jhamal Paskel has been sentenced to 5 years in jail for killing a police dog and a 20-year sentence for other charges as he was sentenced last week at Duval County Circuit Court in Jacksonville, Florida. Jhamal has pleaded guilty for his crime of murdering police dog Fang as well as possession of a gun by a juvenile delinquent and aggravated fleeing, as well as the armed robbery and kidnapping of two women.
A 19-year old Florida man has been sentenced to 25 years in jail after shooting and killing a police dog as he tried to escape arrest in 2018.
Jhamal Paskel has been sentenced to 5 years to jail for the dog's death and 20 years for other charges as the judge announced his sentence at Duval County Circuit Court in Jacksonville, Florida.
According to News4Jax, Circuit Judge Gilbert Feltel Jr. had found the middle ground between the 35-year prison sentence sought by the state and the defense's request for 15 years in prison along with rehabilitation.
During his two hour hearing, Jhamal noted that the incident happened when he was 17 at the time and apologized for the incident saying he was a 'man ready to take responsibility for the mistakes [he] made as a child'.
He said: "I would like to offer my apologies and condolences to Officer Herrera for not only the killing of his K-9 partner Fang, but his best friend.
"I want to apologise to the victims for scaring them that night. And I owe my mother the biggest apology for letting her down."
Officer Matt Herrera, the dog's minder, during the hearing, says he released the dog Fang to stop Jhamal from escaping, only to hear him yelp after the first shot was fired.
It was only moments after that he saw the dog lying around helplessly with head and chest wounds, adding: "He's still a member of my family and it wasn't just sad for me or the department.
"It was my wife, kids and parents... to go back and see that empty kennel in the backyard and know that there is no dog there, and to see the bloodstains in the truck that I had to clean up after he was killed."
Jhamal pleaded guilty last year for his crime of killing the dog as well as possession of a gun by a juvenile delinquent and aggravated fleeing, as well as the armed robbery and kidnapping of two women.
In 2018, Jhamal carjacked two women at a gas station, making one of them drive as he held her at gunpoint. Police were eventually able to trace the car through OnStar, the in-vehicle safety and security system it had installed, and had the system shut off the engine.
Jhamal then tried to escape the jail when a Police dog was released on him to stop him.
He will now serve 10 years of probation, including completion of the Operation New Hope programme, with the judge saying early termination could be possible after five years.
State Attorney Melissa Nelson said in a statement: "We are glad to bring this case to resolution.
"His senseless killing underscores the dangers law enforcement face every day and it sparked changes in state law. This outcome finally achieves justice to Fang's memory."
