Arrest Made in Connection With New Bedford Police Detective’s Shooting

BOSTON (WBSM) — An 18-year-old former New Bedford man indicted for the July 2023 shooting of New Bedford Police Detective Lavar Gilbert was arrested Wednesday at Logan International Airport in Boston.

According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, Denzel Gomes was arrested by Massachusetts State Police and New Bedford Police shortly after his flight from Portugal landed at the airport. Quinn said he was taken into custody without incident.

Gomes was indicted last September on charges of armed assault to murder, attempted assault and battery with a firearm, assault and battery with a firearm, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and carrying an illegal firearm.

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The charges are connected to the July 17, 2023 shooting of Det. Gilbert and another civilian in the area of Orchard Street and Rivet Street. Gilbert was conducting surveillance on area gangs when he was shot in the face with a bullet at around 8:45 p.m. He was able to drive himself to St. Luke’s Hospital and was released a few days later.

Soon after Det. Gilbert arrived at the hospital, police said an adult male arrived at the emergency room suffering from a gunshot wound to his foot that was not life-threatening.

On July 23, New Bedford Police arrested Cheybane Vasconcelos-Furtado, 20, at his home in New Bedford in connection with the incident.

Vasconcelos-Furtado was charged with two counts of armed assault with intent to murder; two counts of assault and battery by discharge of a firearm; two counts of wanton destruction of property over $1,200; and one count each of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon-serious bodily injury, carrying an illegal firearm and carrying a loaded illegal firearm.

A grand jury investigation into the shooting then resulted in Gomes being indicted on September 28, 2023. It was determined at that time that he had already left the country, D.A. Quinn said.

Gomes was held in jail overnight and will be arraigned in Fall RIver Superior Court today.

"I would like to thank the efforts of law enforcement agencies on the federal level who we worked closely with, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Marshals and the ATF, for their persistence and follow through in helping us locate the defendant,” Quinn said. “I am pleased he has now been arrested and apprehended for this violent and lawless shooting that seriously injured detective Gilbert and injured another person.”

"I am very pleased to know that the fugitive responsible for injuring one of our detectives during a recent shooting is now in custody. I'm thankful for the combined efforts of our dedicated law enforcement community in capturing the suspect," New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira said. "I would also like to acknowledge the particularly tenacious efforts of Detective Jordan Ferreira. This incident highlights the importance of unity between agencies and the relentless pursuit of dangerous criminals."