BRADENTON, Fla. — The man accused of a workplace shooting at the Tropicana Plant in Bradenton in 2023 was sentenced to life in prison by a Manatee County judge.
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.
On March 14, Bell was convicted on four felony charges, including attempted murder, aggravated assault with a firearm, armed kidnapping, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Bell was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum mandatory term of life imprisonment, and was given credit for time served, according to court records.
FL Governor vetoes ‘free kill' law
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Thursday followed through with his plan to veto a bill that would have repealed FL’s ‘free kill’ law. But families promise the fight isn’t over.
