Hearing continues for Michigan man involved in police chase in Kanawha County

CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A status hearing for a Michigan man involved in a police chase in Kanawha County last summer has been postponed.

A forensic examination was ordered against Jaylen Bell of Dewitt, Michigan, in March to determine his sanity and criminal responsibility in this case.

A hearing on the examination was scheduled for Tuesday, but according to the Kanawha County District Attorney’s Office, the judge decided to postpone the hearing so that the doctor who performed Bell’s examination could testify in court. A new court date has not yet been set.

In March, Bell’s co-defendant, Levonte Bell of Detroit, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl.

The charges against Levonte Bell and Jaylen Bell stem from a police chase in July 2023.

Police said they stopped the driver as part of a drug investigation. He stopped for a minute near Spruce Street and MacCorkle Avenue and drove off as the officer approached.

The chase continued through a supermarket parking lot, over the Nitro St. Albans Bridge, onto Route 25 in Nitro, and then west on Intestate 64 into Putnam County.

During this time, according to police, the suspects threw drugs – presumably fentanyl – out of the car window.

When the car slowed down due to mechanical problems, the passenger was able to get out without any problems, according to police, but the driver resisted and was eventually pulled out by police.

Officers said they seized a large amount of cash from the car during the arrest.