UPDATED: 7:23 p.m., Wednesday:
A New Jersey man was charged by the U.S. Department of Justice Wednesday for an alleged Tuesday incident where he struck a law enforcement special agent in Falls Township and fled.
Advertisements
Daevon Bell, 26, of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, is charged by a complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey with one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin.
Bell has been under investigation by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) since October in connection with drug trafficking in the Trenton area. The investigation found that Bell would distribute heroin in Trenton and surrounding areas, according to federal criminal complaint from a DEA special agent.
On Tuesday, special agents learned that Bell was expected to have a “large quantity” of heroin and would be moving it with the intention to sell it, authorities said.
Advertisements
Special agents followed Bell, who was driving a Mazda 6, in Trenton before traveling to an apartment complex off Plaza Boulevard in Falls Township’s Morrisville section. They watched Bell exit the vehicle with a black bag from the trunk of the vehicle, he then took it into an apartment building, and later come out with the same black bag.
A DEA special agent approached Bell on foot while he was in the Mazda. As the law enforcement official approached, Bello hit the special agent and a vehicle with a DEA task force officer inside before zooming off around midday, authorities said.
Advertisements
At some point, a DEA special agent at the scene discharged a shot from a gun, which did not strike anyone, said Special Agent Timothy McMahon, who is the spokesperson for the DEA’s New Jersey Division.
The special agent who was hit was not seriously hurt.
Bell fled from the scene in the Mazda and a number of unmarked DEA vehicles followed. The DEA were involved in a high-speed chase with Bell that went from Falls Township, through Morrisville Borough, and ending in Lawrenceville, New Jersey where he was arrested, authorities said.
Advertisements
A DEA helicopter was involved with tracking Bell, and the chopper circled Falls Township for some time.
The DEA said in the criminal complaint that approximately 150 bricks of suspected heroin were found in a bag Bell discarded from the vehicle he was driving during the chase.
Advertisements
McMahon told LevittownNow.com the shooting will be referred to the DEA’s national headquarters for review.
Original Story:
Advertisements
A U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agent fired a round and was struck by a suspect’s vehicle midday Tuesday, an agency spokesperson said.
The incident happened during an “enforcement action” that was part of an ongoing heroin investigation being conducted in Falls Township by special agents from the DEA’s New Jersey Division, according to office spokesperson Special Agent Timothy McMahon.
Advertisements
No one was reported to be struck after the shot was fired. Additionally, the special agent did not suffer life-threatening injuries.
Law enforcement sources said the incident happened in the township’s Morrisville section but no specific address was provided.
McMahon said the suspect ended up fleeing the scene in a vehicle. Special agents chased him as he traveled from Bucks County into New Jersey. He was captured a short time later and is expected to be charged by federal prosecutors.
Advertisements
LevittownNow.com readers reported that numerous unmarked vehicles with emergency lights chased the suspect’s vehicle through Falls Township’s Morrisville section and into Morrisville Borough.
A DEA-operated helicopter circled above Falls Township for some time Tuesday. The chopper was assisting special agents on the ground, McMahon said.
Advertisements
The drug investigation by federal authorities remains ongoing, the special agent said.
The shooting will be referred to the DEA’s national headquarters for review.
Falls Township police referred a reporter to the DEA for comment. It was not immediately clear if the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office was investigating the incident, including the special agent firing his weapon.
Advertisements
Report a correction via email | Editorial standards and policies
