Harvard Law Professor Arrested After Pellet Shots Near Synagogue

Visiting Harvard Law professor Carlos Portugal Gouvêa was arrested after allegedly firing two shots from a pellet gun near Temple Beth Zion in Brookline on the eve of Yom Kippur, prompting a large police response. Two private security guards confronted him, a brief physical struggle ensued, he fled into his nearby residence and was later taken into custody after officers found a pellet that had shattered a nearby car window. Investigators said they do not believe the synagogue was targeted or that the act was motivated by antisemitism. He was charged with illegally discharging a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and malicious damage, pleaded not guilty, and was released on personal recognizance with a November return date. Harvard Law School has placed Gouvêa on administrative leave while it reviews the matter; he is also an associate professor at the University of São Paulo, a Harvard alumnus, and a founding member of a Brazilian think tank that helped lead a 2003 gun-control campaign.