St. Cloud Police: Man killed in officer-involved shooting confirmed to be suspect in girl's stabbing
LAKE MARY, Fla. - The St. Cloud Police Department is standing its assertion that a man killed in an officer-involved shooting was the suspect in the stabbing of a child.
Detectives said they are relying on "detailed statements from the victim, the victim’s family, witnesses from the scene, as well as extensive forensic evidence."
Jahsean Iandie Hodge, 21, was shot on Tuesday, May 5, after police identified him as the suspect in the attack of Jada Lee, 9. The girl was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando and treated for serious wounds to her upper body.
The child's mother, Veronica Snyder, said the man who was shot was not the same person who attacked her daughter and that police mistakenly shot the wrong person and the suspect was still at-large.
"There is unequivocally no evidence to suggest that a third party individual was involved, thus resting the speculation of an outstanding suspect," read a statement released by the St. Cloud Police Department a week after the incident. "The entire family has been traumatized by this tragic incident and the St. Cloud Police Department is working to assist the victim and the family through this most challenging time."
The St. Cloud Police Department said the child's mother provided statement, which read, “We finally got answers, and I have a lot to accept; but, I just want to say the St. Cloud Police Department did their job. Let’s just not make this any worse than it is…”
Snyder told FOX 35 News that her daughter is recovering from surgery meant to try to save her eye.
This case is still an "active and on-going investigation" officials said, which will be forwarded to The Office of the State Attorney, Aramis D. Ayala, for her review once completed.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting an independent investigation into the shooting.