The professor claimed he was hunting rats. Does anyone believe this?
The New York Post reports:
Harvard Law professor placed on leave after firing pellet gun near Boston area synagogueA visiting professor at Harvard Law School has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly firing a pellet rifle outside a Brookline synagogue on the eve of Yom Kippur.Carlos Portugal Gouvea, 43, was arrested Wednesday night after police said he fired two shots near Temple Beth Zion on Beacon Street in what he later claimed was “hunting rats,” Brookline.News reported.Investigators do not believe that Gouvea was targeting the synagogue, but he was charged in Brookline District Court with illegally discharging a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and malicious damage of personal property, according to court records.Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal told The Post that Gouvea “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.”The Harvard Crimson first reported his suspension.The school has not announced any further disciplinary action. The Post has sought comment from Harvard Law School, Temple Beth Zion and Gouvea.Police said the incident triggered a large response involving more than a dozen officers as congregants gathered for services marking the start of the holiest day on the Jewish calendar.Two private security guards working at the synagogue reportedly confronted him after hearing “two loud shots” and spotting him holding a pellet rifle.When the guards approached, Gouvea allegedly set down the gun before a “brief physical struggle” broke out as they tried to detain him, the outlet reported, citing a police account.Police said Gouvea then ran into his nearby residence before emerging moments later, where he was handcuffed and arrested. Officers later discovered a shattered car window and a pellet lodged inside the vehicle, according to the police report cited by Brookline.News.
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