When an SUV pulled up to a red light, a hopeful carjacker approached and ordered the driver out of the vehicle. He soon regretted his actions when a DEA agent turned the tables on his attacker.
Zachary Bell has been labeled the “world’s most clueless carjacker” after he targeted a Drug Enforcement Administration agent’s Jeep for an alleged robbery. (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
An alleged carjacker had the worst luck after he targeted the vehicle of a government official who was armed and ready for a fight. The incident occurred in Manhattan at an intersection of 14th Street and Ninth Avenue, and investigators are still trying to put together the pieces of the controversial encounter.
The New York Post is calling 32-year-old Zachary Bell the “world’s most clueless carjacker” after he allegedly confronted a Drug Enforcement Administration agent. An official report states that the official, who remains unnamed, had just completed a shift and was driving his government-issued vehicle when he pulled up to a stoplight.
Police say Zachary Bell, 32, demanded that the agent exit the vehicle. (Photo Credit: Facebook)
The agent claims that he was idled at the red light when Bell approached his Jeep in a frantic state. The suspect then demanded that the agent exit the vehicle, the criminal complaint says. It is unclear who opened the driver’s side door.
“Get the f–k out of the car,” Bell, 32, screamed at the agent, according to a criminal complaint filed in Manhattan Federal Court.
The agent told police that Bell reached toward his waistband, causing the official to believe that he had a gun. The agent, who is a 7-year veteran on the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, had only seconds to react. The official quickly activated the police lights on his vehicle, grabbed his firearm, and turned toward Bell. He immediately struck Bell in the face and lunged toward him, tackling him to the ground. The agent then managed to handcuff the suspect and detain him while he called the police.
Zachary Bell suffered “severe facial injuries” which would require surgery to repair the damage. (Photo Credit: Pixabay)
Responding officers uncovered a gravity knife on Bell and charged him with attempted carjacking and assaulting a federal officer. The complainant, who occasionally carries out undercover work, will not be identified publicly and was not charged. According to DEA policy, agents are considered to be on duty even when traveling to and from jobs.
Bell was left with “severe” facial injuries due to the scuffle and was rushed to the hospital following the incident. The injuries were so extensive that reparative surgery was needed. Bell hired attorney Ariel Werner to fight the charges lobbied against him. According to Werner, the incident was a simple “misunderstanding” that resulted in her client being needlessly injured.
“I think that we will come to find that this was a misunderstanding with very severe consequences,” she said. “Based on what I have learned so far, I do not believe that the complaint is an accurate statement of what occurred.”
Zachary Bell’s lawyer claimed that the event was a “misunderstanding.” (Photo Credit: Screenshot)
Zachary Bell was released on a $30,000 bond and was required to abstain from alcohol and undergo drug testing, which were stipulations of his release. He was also prohibited from traveling outside New York or his place of residence in New Jersey. He has no previous criminal record.
The incident proves that one can never be too prepared for an imminent threat, no matter who you are. Citizens should be able to defend themselves at a moment’s notice, even if it means staying strapped at a stoplight.
