ST. CLOUD, Fla. – St. Cloud police said Wednesday the department’s investigation revealed the man suspected in a violent stabbing of a 9-year-old girl was the only individual involved in the attack.
Detectives say they’ve obtained conclusive and detailed statements from the child, the child’s family and witnesses at the scene. Investigators also reviewed forensic evidence and say when combined with the interviews, all evidence supports that Jahsean Hodge was the sole suspect involved in the stabbing, according to a news release.
Recommended Videos
Officers responded to a “violent assault and stabbing” call on May 5 where they found the child with stab wounds to her face and body. The child is recovering, according to St. Cloud police.
[RELATED: Man suspected in ‘violent assault’ on 9-year-old girl fatally shot by St. Cloud police, chief says | 911 calls show confusion over 9-year-old girl’s injuries prior to St. Cloud officer fatally shooting man]
Police canvassed the area by Georgia Avenue and 3rd Street after receiving calls of a man witnesses had described was “acting erratically” and seen with blood on his hands and chest.
Officers made contact with that man, later identified as Hodge. As they approached the 21-year-old investigators say Officer Devin Dunn used deadly force, shooting and killing Hodge.
Demonstrators marched to the department in protest of Hodge’s killing May 9, saying he was a victim.
[MORE: ‘He was not a suspect, he was a victim,’ protesters say about St. Cloud man fatally shot by police]
“There is unequivocally no evidence to suggest that a third-party individual was involved, thus resting the speculation of an outstanding suspect,” the department stated in a news release Wednesday.
The department says the investigation is still active, pending additional forensic analysis. Once the investigation is complete, it will be handed to the county’s state attorney’s office for review.
“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," a spokesperson with the department said in a news release.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is conducting its own investigation of the officer-involved shooting. The family of the child is requesting privacy as she recovers.
Officer Dun is on paid administrative leave as the FDLE investigates.