Tampa teen who avoided charges in classmate's death could be in trouble after failed drug test
TAMPA, Fla. - A Tampa teenager who avoided criminal charges in the death of a classmate is back in legal hot water.
In 2021, Christopher Ramsey Bevan faced manslaughter charges in the shooting of 15-year-old Bradley Hulett. Bevan caught a huge break in November 2021, though, when he was given a chance to complete a pretrial intervention (PTI) program and have his charges go away.
Pictured: Bradley Hulett.
But over halfway into the program, he broke the rules.
In a court document obtained by FOX 13, his probation officer wrote that Bevan failed his drug test. It shows he tested positive for marijuana, a violation of his PTI.
Pictured: Christopher Bevan.
Legal analyst Bjorn Brunvand says it could spell trouble for Bevan.
"Because he’s under supervision, he’s not supposed to smoke marijuana and find himself in a position where potentially he could be back in court and face the original charges he faced a few years ago," explained Brunvand.
In December 2019, Bevan was charged with manslaughter in the death of Hulett, who was his classmate. Bevan was playing with a loaded gun when it went off, striking Hulett in the back of the head.
But later, it was determined that a design defect with a gun used to kill Hulett caused it to go off without the trigger being pulled. The gun manufacturer was facing lawsuits around the country, and later, Hulett's family filed their own suit.
His parents would also agree to give Bevan a second chance with PTI. Bradley's mother, Meagan Hulett, supported the decision, and said so in a press conference in November 2021.
"We never wanted to see Ramsey spend a lengthy amount of time in jail," she said.
RELATED: Bradley Hulett shooting: 17-year-old suspect to enter pre-trial intervention program, avoid jail
It's unclear how the Hulett's or the Hillsborough state attorney's office feels now or what will happen next.
However, Brunvand says Bevan's mistake could be treated as a minor setback.
"I will tell you that it's not unusual for someone who is on pretrial intervention to test positive for marijuana and be allowed to remain on the pretrial intervention program," explained Brunvand.
Brunvand also points out that if the state attorney's office goes forward with the manslaughter charge, it could complicate the civil lawsuit the Hulett's have against the gun maker.
"In order for there to be a conviction of manslaughter, there has to be culpable negligence, it can't just be an accident. It has to be a little bit more than that argument. And the history of this firearm is that it will unintentionally fire without pulling the trigger, so it could have a huge impact," explained Brunvand.
Bevan is scheduled in court on August 10 to address his violation.