The man accused of shooting a Peoria County sheriff’s deputy will be held in custody before trial.Larry D. Bell, 51, is charged with attempted first-degree murder, aggravated battery with a firearm, armed violence and unlawful possession of methamphetamine after the Jan. 31 shooting that seriously injured Deputy Jack Evans. On Wednesday, a Peoria County judge ruled Bell be held in custody.
Prosecutors with the Peoria County State’s Attorney’s Office said that Evans, 24, and another deputy were conducting a traffic stop at a gas station in the 1000 block of South Western Avenue on Jan. 31 when Bell, a passenger, left the vehicle and fled on foot.
A short chase ensued before they turned the corner of a building where Bell, waiting with a handgun drawn, shot Evans once in the leg before a physical struggle sent both men to the ground, according to prosecutors. Bell got up and fired three more shots toward Evans, hitting him in the abdomen before fleeing the scene.
Bell was found in an abandoned building hours later wearing a set of red shoes identified through body camera footage. He was also near the handgun used to shoot Evans, which matched the handle of the firearm seen in the footage. Bell also had 25 grams of meth on him as well, according to police.
As Bell was being apprehended, he began having a seizure and was hospitalized later that night. Upon his release, he was transported to the Peoria County Jail.
Bell already has been found guilty on robbery and delivery of a controlled substance charges from Kankakee County.
Evans underwent surgery for his injuries shortly after the shooting Saturday night. The Peoria County Sheriff’s Office said that Evans faced a “long road to recovery” but was in “good spirits” earlier this week.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Man accused of shooting Peoria County deputy to remain in custody
Reporting by Zach Roth, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
