BRADENTON, Fla. — The man accused of a workplace shooting at the Tropicana Plant in Bradenton in 2023 was convicted Friday on four felony charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, armed kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Demetrius Tyrone Bell, 51, was convicted of going into the Tropicana Bradenton Plant after his scheduled shift on June 5, 2023, shooting a male coworker, and forcing a female coworker to leave with him. The woman was released two days later in Tampa. Bell then went missing for almost a year.
WATCH: ABC Action News report after the shooting in 2023
Bell stayed on the run until April 15, 2024, when Bradenton Police were tipped off that he was back in the area. Police attempted to arrest him, but he initially escaped. He was later spotted by a helicopter unit clinging to the roof of a storage facility at the 2800 block of Manatee Avenue. He was taken into custody by Bradenton Police.
Police said at the time that a gun found in Bell's possession was matched to a shell casing found at the scene of the shooting.
"If there had just been a trooper up there, maybe this whole thing could have been avoided."
A judge in Florida is sharing the story of his son's death in hopes of helping the Florida Highway Patrol trooper shortage.
