Amityville Man Who Shot At Officers Sentenced: DA

AMITYVILLE, NY — Jayvon Bell, 21, was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison Thursday for robbery, menacing and shooting at a Suffolk County Police Officer in 2023, Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney announced Thursday.

“This case is a constant reminder that every time the men and women in our police force leave their homes and families to go to work, they genuinely do not know if they will make it back home after their shifts,” Tierney said. “In Suffolk County we take law enforcement officer safety seriously and prosecute vigorously. We extend our gratitude to the SCPD officers in this case who did a great job despite the risk to their personal safety.”

Bell was represented by Joe Hanshe, Esq.

"The underlying causes, such as ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, Biopolar disorder, a lack of early recognition and treatment of a young person that results in distorted reality of events, that is the real story here," Hanshe told Patch.

According to court documents and Bell’s statements in when he pleaded guilty in February, on May 10, 2023, a taxi driver responded to the North Amityville area to pick up a passenger. When the driver arrived, Bell climbed in the rear seat. He then cocked what appeared to be a handgun, pointed it at the driver’s head, and demanded money. Bell stole roughly $150 from the driver before getting out and running away, prosecutors said.

Less than a month later, on June 3, Bell was at a Bolla Market in Lindenhurst when a dispute with an employee began after Bell refused to pay for a soda. Bell informed the employee that he had a gun and walked out. But before leaving, Bell took what appeared to be a handgun out of his pocket and tapped it on the window of the store while threatening the employee.

At noon June 21, Suffolk County Police Officers spotted Bell, whom they were seeking over the two incidents, walking northbound on Albany Avenue toward Route 109 in East Farmingdale.

Bell fled and the officers chased him behind a residence on Maple Road in North Amityville. When police arrived in the back yard, Bell was standing with his back against a fence and holding a black handgun pointed directly at them. He fired a shot which missed and struck a fence.

One officer then returned fire, striking Bell. The Amityville resident was then arrested, rendered first aid, and transported to Stony Brook University Hospital to be treated for his injuries.

Law enforcement recovered the black handgun used by Bell to shoot at the officers, as well as video surveillance from the residence where the shooting occurred. Additionally, police body worn camera footage captured Bell pointing the handgun directly at the officers.

On February 14, 2024, Bell pleaded guilty before Acting Supreme Court Justice Anthony S. Senft, Jr. to:

• One count of Attempted Murder in the First Degree of a Police Officer, a Class A felony;
• One count of Attempted Robbery in the First Degree, a Class C violent felony; and
• One count of Menacing in the Second Degree, a Class A misdemeanor.

On April 4, Justice Senft sentenced Bell to 20 years to life in prison.