Bradenton police shoot and kill ‘armed suspect’ during SWAT raid, chief says
An officer with the Bradenton Police Department shot and killed a 56-year-old man during a Tuesday morning narcotics raid, the agency said.
The search, which included Bradenton police officers, the narcotics unit and 10 SWAT officers, was considered to be high risk, as law enforcement “had reason to believe that someone inside the home was a convicted felon, and had a gun,” according to Meredith Censullo, the Bradenton Police Department’s public information officer.
Bradenton Police Chief Josh Cramer said that when SWAT arrived at the home in the 300 block of 10th Ave. W., they attempted to enter the residence to complete their search and encountered an armed person.
“In the process of making entry, they were confronted by an armed subject, and an officer-involved shooting followed,” Cramer told the Bradenton Herald.
According to the police department, the SWAT team “knocked and announced their presence,” at which point two people exited the residence.
Fatal shooting in SWAT raid, police say
After one of the SWAT officers noticed a room with a closed door, other officers outside were notified. They breached a window, revealing a man “standing next to a bed, with a gun in his hand,” according to a news release from Bradenton police.
The man, later identified as William Tyrone “Willie” Bell, was given multiple commands to drop the gun, but he did not comply, according to police.
A SWAT officer fired “due to the threat,” and the SWAT medic entered the residence and “attempted to render aid,” police said in a news release.
Bell was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Cramer.
“The SWAT Officer has been placed on administrative leave, pending further review, in accordance with department policy,” the police department said
The search was being conducted as Bradenton’s “narcotics unit developed intelligence” that drugs were being sold at the residence.
‘Armed suspect’ killed in drug raid, police say
According to Censullo, dispatch received the call of the shooting at 9:40 a.m., and Cramer says that additional officers arrived “immediately” to provide support.
At the scene, neighbors reacted to the shooting with strong emotions. One woman was seen receiving medical attention, being wheeled from the area on a gurney. Cramer later confirmed that the woman was a family member who was “overcome.”
Cramer says the woman was transported by officers, not an ambulance, to receive further medical attention. He also said that, as far as the police department is aware, the extent of her trauma was emotional.
“The family’s obviously upset. It’s a shocking, traumatic incident for them,” Cramer said. “Our officer’s all right, but he’s upset, visibly upset.”
“We don’t come out here to take people’s lives. That’s not what we do,” he added. “We responded to enforce a warrant, and our officer, unfortunately, was met with deadly force.”
Bradenton Police Department’s internal affairs detectives were also on the scene, as well as the Manatee Homicide Investigation Unit following the shooting.
According to Censullo, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement will conduct an investigation into the shooting.
This story was originally published March 10, 2026 at 12:59 PM.
