Former CMPD officer found dead on golf course after disappearing, police say

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — A massive search Thursday for a missing former Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officer in Mooresville ended with the discovery of his body.

Michael Scott Bell, 40, was found dead on the Mooresville Golf Course after family members reported him missing Wednesday night. Police said Bell had a previous medical condition.

Family members said a maintenance worker saw Bell walking from his nearby apartment complex with golf clubs, heading toward the golf course.

"When the cloud cover lifted, we were able to get a helicopter in the sky and assist with locating the gentleman. He has been located off the golf course, in one of the walkways," said Mooresville police Maj. Gerald Childress.

Mooresville police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Bell's death.

Bell was hired by CMPD in September 2009 and served as an officer until December 2016. He was assigned to the University City Division, according to CMPD.

He made the news in 2016 after a violent shooting on a Charlotte Area Transit Systems bus in which Bell and another officer shot and killed a suspect. CMPD Chief Kerr Putney touted the two men as heroes who protected innocent people on the bus.

[RELATED: Teenager killed in officer-involved shooting fired at police, CMPD says]

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Bell family as they grieve the loss of their loved one," CMPD said in a statement.

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