16-year-old Damain Martin died on March 8th, 2019, after being chased by officers from the Sunrise Police Department in Broward County, Florida. Damain was unarmed. He jumped into a nearby canal in hopes of evading police. A taser was deployed near the water.
For months, Martin’s family pleaded for answers to their questions in the case of Damain’s death. Neither Sunrise Police Department nor the Broward County Sheriff’s Office provided any information other than what was stated on the initial police report: cause of death - accidental drowning.
Drowning by Sunrise is an investigative documentary that calls into question the official account of Damain Martin’s death provided by the Sunrise Police Department and the Broward County Medical Examiner. The short film brings to light new evidence that suggests Martin may have been struck by a deployed taser probe upon entering the water.
Drowning by Sunrise was directed by filmmakers / journalists Jess Swanson and Jason Fitzroy Jeffers for The Intercept with support from the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting. Post production support was provided by Kismet Creative Studio.