Vernon Police Snag Suspect, High-Capacity Gun After Chase Near School

VERNON, CT — Vernon police recovered an altered gun with a high-capacity magazine during a domestic incident that spilled out of a local home and into a neighborhood that includes a school, according to an incident report.

The situation broke out at about 1 p.m. Tuesday at a local home, police said.

A woman who had been threatened with a gun managed to escape the home, but was chased by a man, later identified as 23-year-old Xavier Velez, of Vernon, according t0 an incident report.

The incident was in close proximity to Skinner Road School, which went into "secure mode" while officers responded.

Vernon officers quickly corralled Velez near the home and police dog Franco located the gun in a nearby wooded area, according to an incident report. The firearm had a tampered serial number and a "high capacity drum magazine," according to an incident report.

The school was never directly threatened, police said.

Velez was charged include first-degree threatening with a firearm, first-degree assault, third-degree assault, disorderly conduct, carrying pistol without a permit, illegal alteration of a firearm identification, first-degree reckless endangerment, illegal possession of a large-capacity magazine, and interfering with police officer, according to an incident report.

Velez was held overnight on a $500,000 bond and was to appear in Rockville Superior Court Wednesday, police said.

Vernon police were still investigating the case Wednesday. Anyone with information about the incident can contact Officer Matt Guilmette at 860-872-9126.