LAUREL POLICE ARREST WANTED MAN FOLLOWING BRIEF PURSUIT

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May 31, 2024
Laurel, DE - The Laurel Police Department was recently notified by the Wilmington Police Department that Brian D. Bell (36) of Wilmington, DE, was wanted with active arrest warrants for felony firearms offenses. Bell was familiar to the Laurel Police Department and was known to frequent the Hollybrook Apartments on Pasture Lane in Laurel, Delaware.

On May 26, 2024, at approximately 4:30 pm, a Laurel Police Department officer observed Brian D. Bell in the area of 200 Pasture Lane in the Hollybrook Apartments. Bell entered a vehicle and drove out of the complex.

The officer was aware of Bell being wanted and awaited the arrival of an additional patrol unit to conduct a traffic stop on Camp Road in Laurel, Delaware.

Officers made contact with Bell, who was uncooperative with lawful orders to exit his vehicle before fleeing the traffic stop in his vehicle. Due to the nature of the warrant charges, officers engaged in a brief high-speed vehicle pursuit Eastbound on Camp Road.

Bell eventually pulled over on Discount Land Road, where he was taken into custody without incident.

Further investigation and review of the officer's in-car cameras led officers to believe items may have been discarded from Bell's vehicle during the pursuit.

Additional officers searched the roadside area with the assistance of troopers from the Delaware State Police. After an extensive search, officers located a plastic container containing what was later determined to be powder and crack cocaine.

Bell was transported to the Laurel Police Department, where officers learned he had prior convictions for "Disregarding Police Signal First Offense" and "Disregarding Police Signal Subsequent Offense", making this incident an additional subsequent offense. He was charged with the following crimes:

-Disregarding Police Signal Subsequent Offense (Class E Felony)
-Tampering with Physical Evidence (Class G Felony)
-Resisting Arrest (Class A Misdemeanor)
-Possession of Controlled Substance Crack Cocaine (Class B Misdemeanor)
-Possession of Controlled Substance Powder Cocaine (Class B Misdemeanor)
-Multiple Traffic Offenses

Bell was arraigned by the Justice of the Peace Court 2 for the Laurel PD charges and released on $9,430 unsecured bail. He was also arraigned for his Wilmington Police Department felony warrant, and issued a $6,000 cash-only bail which has since been posted.