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Prosecutor Clears Jacksonville Officer in Shooting of Unarmed 14-Year-Old

The decision rests on what the officer reasonably believed after incomplete dispatch updates.

Overview

  • State Attorney Melissa Nelson said Officer Jacob T. Cahill will not face criminal charges, and the 14-year-old is recovering.
  • Body-camera video shows Cahill warning the teen to remove his hands before firing multiple shots into his back within seconds; no weapon was found.
  • Prosecutors said the teen’s motion toward his waistband likely reflected adjusting his pants rather than drawing a gun.
  • The pursuit followed a stolen Kia case initially tied by dispatch to a hit-and-run and a drive-by later ruled a homicide, and four teens were charged with grand theft auto.
  • JSO acknowledged a radio communication breakdown between districts and is updating protocols to broadcast critical alerts citywide, with an internal policy review still to come.