JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The above video was published on Oct. 19, 2018.
The teen who admitted to killing a Jacksonville police K9 in 2018 was set to learn his fate in a Duval County courtroom Monday afternoon, but his sentencing was pushed back a week to allow the judge time to evaluate.
Jhamel Paskel, who pleaded guilty to all six charges against him, was just 17 years old when police took him into custody following an armed carjacking and kidnapping at the 7-Eleven on Lem Turner Road on Sept. 30, 2018.
JSO said at the time that Paskel ran from the vehicle and the K9, Fang, was sent out after him. Police said Paskel shot and killed Fang, but was caught by officers who had formed a perimeter.
On Monday afternoon, Paskel watched as prosecutors went through a play-by-play of what occurred that early September morning.
As part of the prosecution's presentation to the circuit judge, JSO Officer Matt Herrera, Fang's handler, spoke about what led up to the shooting that morning and the impact it had on his life.
A member of the JSO K9 Unit, Herrera said he and other officers were attempting to pull Paskel over in the stolen car, which he said was being driven at speeds in excess of 120 miles per hour.
At the Interstate-10 interchange with the First Coast Expressway, Herrera said Paskel pulled off, jumped out of the car and ran over an embankment. He said Fang went after him, and that he heard gunshots and a yelp before he found Fang dead on the other side of the embankment.
Herrera said Fang was a part of his family, and that the impact of his death was felt not just by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the community, but by his family.
"When you go home, he's just another dog. Whether he wants to chase a squirrel or lay out in the yard or be silly, bark at a snake, he's still a dog and he's still a member of my family," Herrera said.
Paskel was expected to face sentencing on six charges, including two counts of armed kidnapping, armed robbery and killing a police dog, but the decision on a sentence was delayed by the circuit judge to next Thursday morning.
Part of the reason for the delay included Paskel's defense asking for the possibility of probation on the back-end of his sentence. The judge said he needed time to review the plea deal and whether probation could be considered in the future.
Back in October 2018, First Coast News reported Paskel was told he would be charged as an adult.