Armed robbery defendant drinks cup of bleach after jury finds him guilty – Law Officer

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A criminal defendant consumed a cup of bleach in a courtroom moments after a jury found him guilty of armed robbery.

Jermaine Bell, 38, was convicted of the crime after spending more than three years in custody. The armed robbery occurred in December 2018 when he pulled a gun on employees at the Millennium Engine Plating while he was disguised as a courier. He is facing life in prison, Local 10 News reported on Monday.

Bell was seen drinking the bleach from a white disposable cup before an officer approached him with a trash can and attempted to have Bell spit up the liquid. However, the inmate continued to drink from the cup until he eventually sat down.

Immediately afterward Bell became quite ill, and was removed from the Miami courtroom on a stretcher and rushed to the hospital for treatment, according to Fox News.

Bell is reportedly in stable condition at the hospital after ingesting the bleach, yet it remains unclear how he obtained the chemical for consumption in court.

The Miami-Dade County Corrections and Miami-Dade Police are investigating the incident.