On February 3, 2026, at approximately 0253 hours officers responded to a report of a slumper at W Broadway and Washington Ave, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Officers located a person, later identified as JUSTIN EUGENE BELL, DEFENDANT herein, in the driver's seat of a vehicle who appeared to be unconscious. The vehicle appeared to be on and running, in drive with the DEFENDANT's foot on the brake preventing the vehicle from moving forward. Officers observed a glass pipe and cigarette lighter in the DEFENDANT's left hand.
Officers placed two Tire Deflation Devices in front of the vehicle's tires. Officers awoke the DEFENDANT by knocking on the driver's side window. The DEFENDANT attempted to hand the officers the glass pipe and a plastic baggie later found to field-test positive for a controlled substance. Officers instructed the DEFENDANT to put the vehicle in park. Instead, the DEFENDANT began driving westbound on W Broadway, nearly striking a semi before the vehicle's tires fully deflated and came to a stop on 21 Ave N. The officers ordered the DEFENDANT out of his car at gunpoint and placed the DEFENDANT under arrest.
Officers searched the vehicle and recovered two plastic baggies containing field-tested positive methamphetamine that weighed 1.1 grams from the driver's door, tinfoil containing field-tested positive fentanyl that weighed.08 grams, a rock field-tested positive for fentanyl that weighed.12 grams, and a prescription pill bottle containing a powdery substance field-tested positive for fentanyl that weighed 12.65 grams from the trunk of the vehicle. Officers also recovered five plastic bags containing a white rock like substance that field-tested positive for fentanyl and weighed 1.05 grams in total.
DEFENDANT was transported to HCMC where he was read the Minnesota Implied Consent Advisory. He stated he understood the Advisory and agreed to provide a sample of his blood for testing which revealed the presence of amphetamine and methamphetamine in the DEFENDANT's blood at 0442 hours. The DEFENDANT was previously convicted of DWI offenses in Court File Nos. 27-CR-18-22757 in 2018, 27-CR-20-5348 in 2021, 27-CR-19-16555 in 2024, and 27-CR-19-19045 in 2024. The DEFENDANT currently has two pending Drug 5 cases (Court File Nos. 27-CR-25-15934 and 27-CR- 25-27850) and a pending RSP/Drug 5 case (Court File No. 27-CR-26-5394) in Hennepin County.
The DEFENDANT is not currently in custody. Your Complainant is concerned for public safety given the nature and severity of the charges and requests this Complaint issue by warrant.
