Shot Fired Leads To Arrest In Naugatuck: Police

NAUGATUCK, CT — A Naugatuck man accused of firing a shot from a handgun in town late Thursday night was arrested this week, according to police.

In a news release, police said officers were called to the one-way section of High Street around 11 p.m. after receiving reports of gunfire in the area.

Shortly after arriving, officers confirmed through home security footage that a man standing on the sidewalk had fired a single shot into the air from a 9mm handgun, police said.

Witnesses told police the man had left in a white SUV driven by a woman. Officers continued their investigation and located the man, identified as Brian Lavertue, 38, of Naugatuck, at the Mobil gas station on South Main Street, police said.

Lavertue was arrested and the firearm was recovered from the vehicle's center console, police said.

According to police, Lavertue is a felon and prohibited by law from possessing firearms. He was charged with illegal possession of a weapon in a motor vehicle, illegal discharge of a firearm, illegal carry of a firearm under the influence of drugs or alcohol, criminal possession of a pistol or revolver, risk of injury to a child and violation of pistol permit requirements.

"Thankfully, no one was injured during this incident and an illegal firearm was safely removed from the streets of Naugatuck," police said in a news release.

Lavertue was held on a $150,000 surety bond and appeared in court Friday morning, according to police.