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A Florida man was fatally knifed by his friend’s brother after the alleged killer flipped out about not getting a chance to smoke weed, according to authorities.
Joseph McDonald, 31, was charged with murder after a manhunt on Sunday led to his arrest, which was caught on dramatic bodycam video.
Volusia County Sheriff deputies responded to a home around 11 a.m. and encountered the 21-year-old victim, who stumbled outside as he bled from an injury to his stomach, authorities said.
The victim pointed to the house when asked who was behind the attack, but couldn’t provide more information before he died at the hospital, the sheriff’s office said.
The suspect fled the house following the stabbing, but a witness who was still at the house helped deputies identify McDonald as a person of interest, authorities said.
His photo was released to the public and a reverse 911 call went out to nearby residents, leading to reported sightings.
Helicopter crews and police dogs assisted in the search before McDonald was spotted shortly after 1 p.m. emerging from brush three miles from the house, the sheriff’s office said.
Deputies with their guns trained on McDonald, of Deltona, told him not to move as he bled from his bandaged hand, according to footage released by the sheriff.
“Keep your hands on top of your f—king head, do you f—king understand me,” one deputy yelled as McDonald tried to talk to law enforcement. Footage captured from one of the helicopters showed multiple deputies placing the man in handcuffs.
He was charged with first-degree murder.
The witness with the victim told investigators the pair went over to their friend’s house to smoke marijuana, but he wasn’t home. Instead, the pal’s brother, McDonald, let them inside, the witness said, according to the sheriff’s office.
McDonald became infuriated when he wasn’t given the chance to light up and allegedly threatened to kill the victim, the witness said.
As the argument escalated, the witness went to the garage where he heard the victim and McDonald fighting inside the house, authorities said. Soon after, the victim came outside bleeding and pleading for help.
McDonald had been only living in the house for two months and was dealing with “significant mental illness” for several years, the sheriff’s office said.
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