The State Attorney’s Office on Wednesday released some of the evidence in its case against a man accused of killing a Nassau County deputy in September.
Patrick McDowell is accused of shooting and killing Deputy Joshua Moyers during a traffic stop in the early morning hours of Friday, Sept. 24 in Callahan. McDowell is also accused of shooting a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office K9 deputy named Chaos.
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‘He crawled out like a coward’
McDowell was captured at a baseball field in Callahan after a five-day manhunt.
One of the videos released include drone video of the moment when McDowell was located at the Callahan ball field after the five-day manhunt. McDowell can be seen crawling out of the concession stand at the ball field, as Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said he had.
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McDowell makes it probably 15 feet. About a minute later, a K9 officer was released as a line of armed law enforcement approached him. He was then arrested using the handcuffs that belonged to Moyers.
“He crawled out like a coward,” Leeper said at the time of McDowell’s capture.
‘You got any guns in the car?’
The evidence released also includes dash camera video from Moyers’ patrol car, leading up to the moment he is shot. As train crossing lights begin flashing, Moyers asks McDowell, “You got any guns in the car?”
Then the moment of the shooting was visually and auditorily redacted by the State Attorney’s Office, but in the moments after the shooting, the Chrysler Town and Country that authorities say McDowell was driving can be seen speeding off trying to make it through railroad crossing arms before they come down all the way.
‘I think he shot the cop’
Prosecutors also released the 911 call made by the woman who was in the van with McDowell. That woman was cooperative with the investigation.
OPERATOR: “Who stopped you guys?”
CALLER: “A police officer.”
OPERATOR: “What happened?”
CALLER: “Um, I heard gunshots and ... I think he shot the cop.”
OPERATOR: “You need to stay on the phone with me, you understand?”
She explained not only what happened, but what she said she was told to do by McDowell.
CALLER: “He told me to run and he -- at first I told him to let me out of the car and he wouldn’t let me out of the car -- and then finally he like fit the car between some trees and told me to run. And that was it and I left and I called you.”
‘Good job bud! You found that man!’
Also included in the evidence release is officer body camera video from when JSO K9 Chaos was shot as officers from several different agencies searched for McDowell after Moyers was shot. In the video, Chaos locates McDowell and several gunshots can be heard, as McDowell shoots at the dog and then officers return fire. Not much can be seen on the video at that moment, as it was very dark in the wooded area where the search was taking place.
As Chaos’ handler is taking him out of the woods to get emergency care, he can be heard telling the K9, “Good job bud! You found that man!”
Another body camera video shows Chaos being taken to the vet. Watch that full video below.
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Photo evidence was also released and included pictures of a bullet lodged in Moyers’ bulletproof vest, pictures of the scene after Moyers was shot, K9 Chaos’ injuries, a rifle investigators say McDowell left in the woods.
An audio file includes an officer interview with McDowell, who said he wants an attorney and that he has been bandaged up.
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