Drowning by Sunrise

On March 8, Damain Martin drowned in a canal near Sunrise, Florida. Martin, who was 16 years old, was trying to escape the police officers who had spotted him and a group of friends in a car that was reported stolen. Although many of that afternoon’s events remain unclear, this much is known: A police officer deployed his Taser near the canal while trying to apprehend Damain.

Official reports say the electrified Taser probes never made contact with Damain and ruled his death an accidental drowning. That doesn’t sit well with his friends and family: Damain was an athlete, known to be a strong swimmer.

This video investigation by The Intercept and the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting casts doubt on the official findings, surfacing evidence that Damain may have been tased. The film is directed by Jason Fitzroy Jeffers and Jess Swanson, and edited by Jonathan David Kane.

Drowning by Sunrise received four awards in the regional Green Eyeshade journalism awards in 2020: First Place for Investigative Reporting in Television, First Place for Documentary in Television, Best in Division for Television, and third Place for Online Videography. For more information, please visit The Intercept.