Man steals van and asks Atlantic City cop to shoot him, police say

ATLANTIC CITY — A man driving a stolen vehicle with a suspended license had a series of encounters with police and asked an officer to shoot him when they cornered him on Sunday, police said.

Michael Bell, 44, of Atlantic City, was spotted around 10:25 p.m. driving a van reported stolen from Stafford and led Atlantic City police Officer Bayron Zelaya-Chavez on a chase after refusing to stop, according to police.

Police say Bell continued to Sovereign Avenue where he put the van into reverse, hitting Zelaya-Chavez's marked cruiser. He then jumped from the back of the van and ran off.

When Zelaya-Chavez cornered Bell as he tried to climb a fence, he yelled for her to shoot him as he held his waistband, according to police.

Zelaya-Chavez backed off and Bell was able to get away by running up the stairs on a deck and jumping to the ground below, police said. He was later found and arrested with 10 pounds of heroin, police said.

Bell was charged with receiving stolen property, criminal mischief, resisting arrest, hindering apprehension, possess of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, multiple active warrants, and multiple motor vehicle summons.

Bell is being held at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

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