Teen charged in death of Bradley Hulett makes first appearance in Tampa courtroom

TAMPA, Fla. - A 15-year-old boy is facing manslaughter charges in the shooting death of Bradley Hulett, the teenager who was shot and killed in December 2019 at the home of a Tampa police officer. Saturday morning, the teen appeared before a judge for the first time since his arrest.

The teen's family showed tearful emotion as the 15-year-old made his way to the stand with his attorney. The boy did not address the court but maintained a somber expression, painting a clear picture of his emotions.

"The only thing that exists in the CRA that I was able to observe in my brief review this morning is the spontaneous statement made by the child before the court that he is the one that pulled the trigger that resulted in the injury to the victim," said the teen's attorney present at Saturday's first appearance. "I understand the tragic nature of this and the effect on all people who are involved- certainly the victim's family, and the defendant's family and the families of the other children."
Hulett, 15, was at the home of a Tampa police officer playing video games with three other friends late last year. According to Hulett's parents, one of the teens got ahold of a gun and shot Hulett in the back of the head.

Bradley Hulett

"Bradley was gaming, had headphones on with his friends and one of the boys left the room, came back with a weapon, pointed it, fired, and hit him in the back of the head and killed him instantly," said Brad Hulett, Bradley's father. "There's obviously a lot more detail to that, but that’s what happened to our son."
According to the State Attorney's Office, the boy who lived at the house went into his father’s master bedroom to use the bathroom because another boy was using the only other bathroom in the house. The door to the master bedroom was locked, and the boy who lived there used a paperclip to unlock it.
Prosecutors said the teen did not re-lock the door behind him after exiting the master bedroom. He then re-entered the bedroom with two of the other boys to look for a plunger in order to fix a clog in the other bathroom.

While in the master bedroom, the boys noticed the father’s gun, which was in a safety holster sitting on a small table, the State Attorney's Office said. There was no magazine in the gun, although there was a single round in the chamber. The boy who lived at the house mistakenly believed the gun to be unloaded and engaged the safety release to remove it from the holster.

He took the gun out of his father’s room and along with the two other boys returned to his bedroom, where Hulett was sitting at a desk playing video games. Then, while all four teens were in the boy’s bedroom, investigators said one of the friends took the gun from the boy who lived in the house. That friend, also mistakenly believing the gun to be unloaded, pulled the trigger, firing the single round and striking Hulett in the back of the head. The other three boys immediately called 911 and attempted to provide medical assistance to their friend.

"There is no evidence that the shooter or either of the two other boys intended to kill or harm the victim, or that they acted with malice," a statement from the State Attorney's Office says. "The evidence clearly establishes that this was a tragic accident where all the boys mistakenly believed that the gun was not loaded. The lack of intent or malice, however, does not foreclose that a crime occurred."

Hulett's parents have been waiting for months to hear if anyone would be charged, and say they are pleased with the charges.

"We were seeking justice for Bradley, that’s what it’s been about from the very beginning; I think today we got that," Brad Hulett told FOX 13's Gloria Gomez. "It’s not perfect but it’s as good as it can be and we are very very pleased with the outcome."

The State Attorney's Office said the Tampa police officer will not face any charges for failing to safely store his gun since the weapon was locked in the master bedroom, even though it was not locked in a safe or fitted with a trigger lock.

"The minor's access must have been 'likely' -- not just possible or foreseeable -- and the father's belief that the gun was secure must have been unreasonable -- not just mistaken or ill-advised," the statement said. "In this situation, there is no legal basis to charge the father for failing to safely store his gun."

The officer's attorney, Rick Escobar, said the family is relieved with the decision not to charge the officer or his son.

"I'm very pleased with the thoroughness of Hillsborough County Sherif's Office and their work in this matter, and I'm extremely pleased with Andrew Warren's office," Escobar said. "We are very happy for our clients; however, as I've told you before, this is a tragic, tragic accident in a very sad situation for the Hulett family. We certainly offer our condolences to them."

Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister, however, issued a statement saying the state's gun storage laws should be changed in light of the decision not to charge the officer.

"If the law, as written and as reflected in the State Attorney's decision, prevents criminal accountability, we should all advocate to change it," Chronister said. "While the statute as written and the lawyers who interpret it may not differentiate criminal responsibility based on familiarity with guns, as law enforcement officers, we must hold ourselves to a higher standard in order to prevent such tragic consequences, and ultimately, we must answer to a higher authority when asked why we didn’t do more. Our kids deserve better.” 

FOX 13 has reached out to the teen's attorney, Thomas Dickerhoof, who said he will reserve comment until he hears from the State Attorney's Office.

The teen will remain in custody until March 20. He will then be released to his family and due back in court on March 24.