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Man accused of trying to kill 3 Buffalo Police officers arraigned at ECMC

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn mapped out the chase, for which Bell faces 50 years to life, during a Thursday afternoon news conference.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — The man accused of trying to kill three Buffalo Police officers has been charged with attempted murder and was arraigned Thursday afternoon in his hospital bed at ECMC.

The charges for Kente Bell are in connection to the half-hour, citywide police chase on Tuesday night. Two of the officers who were shot have been released, but one remains in the hospital after surgery.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn, during a Thursday afternoon news conference, mapped out the chase, for which Bell faces 50 years to life.

Bell was arrested and charged late Tuesday night with three counts of attempted murder of a police officer in the first degree. He has also been charged with criminal possession of a weapon and faces vehicle and traffic charges.

The district attorney said it's a miracle that no one was killed and shared new details about why the chase started.

Flynn said there was an issue with window tint that prompted Buffalo Police officers to pull Bell over on Niagara Street. Officers then reportedly found an issue with the car's registration that led to further questions. The district attorney could not elaborate on what the registration was and referred reporters to Buffalo Police.

Flynn said when Bell was asked to get out of the vehicle, he said he could not, saying that he is handicapped and uses a walking aid. He was also out on probation for a crime back in 2020, a violent felony according to the DA.

The chase, which started just before 6 p.m. Tuesday, went up into Black Rock, at one point Flynn said a woman who was a passenger apparently jumped out of the car along Niagara Street. Flynn added that shots were not fired until she was out of the vehicle.

Flynn claims that Bell ran through a police barricade heading southbound on Niagara Street and then hopped on the 198 to the 33 and went into Cheektowaga at one point. Flynn said it did not appear any weapons were fired on either highway or prior to the car getting off at Bailey Avenue.

When Bell did get off, Flynn said a short time later the first officer was shot at the intersection of Bailey Avenue and Langfield Drive. The District Attorney clarified that there was no second individual firing shots out of the vehicle which was originally reported by Buffalo Police.

"This is literally out of a movie," Erie County District Attorney John Flynn said Thursday afternoon during a news conference.

The second officer Flynn said was shot at Genesee and Doat Street. Bell allegedly shot at officers throughout the chase through city streets.

Flynn said most of the gunfire exchanged between police and Mr. Bell happened at the end of the chase on Fillmore Avenue, near East Ferry Street. That is where the third officer was shot.

2 On Your Side asked Flynn about the possibility of 'friendly fire.' He said there were so many shots fired by police and the suspect that, right now, he cannot answer that question.

Flynn also claimed that Bell had an illegal extended magazine for his weapon which is the reason for the gun charge against him.

Credit: Erie County District Attorney's Office
Buffalo Police were led on a chase Tuesday evening, when three officers were shot at various places in the city.

"I mean, you have a high-speed chase. You may or may not have handicap equipment, but even if you did have some handicap equipment, you've got a guy firing out the driver's-side window here. You got blockades. You got speed on high on the highway. You got a girl jumping out of a car," Flynn added.

Bell was shot several times at the end of the chase and had to undergo surgery. He has been at Erie County Medical Center since.

Bell is scheduled to next appear in court on Monday at 9:30 a.m. for a felony hearing. He was remanded without bail. A probation violation hearing is scheduled to take place Friday.   

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