TAMPA, Fla. – Tampa adolescent Christopher Ramsey Bevan managed to avoid a felony charge in the tragic shooting incident involving his friend. Instead, he received a fortunate turn of events and was put under three years of supervised probation.
However, halfway through the probation period, Bevan was apprehended for violating the regulations and failing a drug test. On Thursday morning, he returned to court, an appearance that displeased the judge.
With the approval of the victim’s family, prosecutors opted for another cycle of pretrial intervention, also known as PTI, instead of pursuing a trial. Nonetheless, Tampa judge Robin Fuson initially expressed reluctance.
“You can only enter this program if I agree to it, and currently, I am not pleased with your behavior,” Judge Fuson cautioned.
Judge Fuson ordered Bevan to be taken into custody. Despite the disapproval shown by his lawyer, who shook his head in disagreement, Bevan was eventually handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom to reflect on his actions. This legal twist was entirely unexpected, as explained by Anthony Rickman, an attorney representing the victim’s family.
“Honestly, he’s squandering this opportunity right now by testing positive,” Rickman remarked.
In December 2019, 15-year-old Bradley Hulett and his closest friend, who happened to be the son of Tampa police officer Edwin Perez, were at Hulett’s residence, accompanied by Bevan and another boy. While the teenagers were home alone, they stumbled upon a firearm.
Bevan’s intention was to startle Hulett, who was engrossed in a video game in a separate room, but tragically, a gunshot was fired, leading to Hulett’s demise.
Bevan was arrested and charged with manslaughter initially. However, it later came to light that the gun used in the incident had a structural defect, causing it to discharge without the trigger being pulled.
The gun manufacturer faced numerous legal actions across the nation, including one from the Hulett family. In an unusual move, the family of the deceased teenager opted to give Bevan a second chance through PTI, as Meghan Hulett explained.
“We never wished for Ramsey to spend an extended period behind bars,” she stated.
Yet, 21 months later, Bevan found himself seeking another leniency. He obtained it, along with a stern caution from the court.
“If you mess up again, I won’t be as forgiving. You had the opportunity to steer clear of trouble, and you made a very foolish decision that you had control over,” Fuson declared.
With that, Judge Fuson accepted the agreement, which would add 36 more months of supervised intervention. Should Bevan breach another regulation, he could face criminal charges.
