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A man wanted for shooting a New Bedford Police Detective in the face last summer was arrested this afternoon by local, state, and federal authorities after he stepped off an arriving international flight at Logan Airport.
DENZEL GOMES, 18, was apprehended without incident and handcuffed with a set of blue New Bedford Police handcuffs.
GOMES was cleared through customs and turned over to the New Bedford Police Major Crimes Unit. He is charged with the following offenses.
Armed Assault with Intent to Murder (two counts);
Assault and Battery with a Dangerous Weapon Causing Serious Bodily Injury;
Assault and Battery with a Firearm;
Attempted Assault and Battery with a Firearm (two counts); and
Carrying a Firearm Without a License.
On July 17, 2023, immediately following the shooting of the undercover NBPD Detective, the New Bedford Police Major Crimes Unit and the Massachusetts State Police Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section (MSP VFAS) began working to locate and apprehend those responsible for the crime.
At the time of the shooting, the Detective was conducting surveillance in the North End of New Bedford when shots were fired from a passing vehicle. The Detective was struck in the face but survived. Another person who was in the area suffered a gunshot wound to his foot.
In the weeks that followed, NBPD, MSP VFAS, the State Police Detective Unit (MSP SPDU) for Bristol County, and the United States Marshals Service (USMS) relentlessly pursued the three occupants of the vehicle. Two of the three were subsequently arrested and a third, GOMES, the suspected triggerman, was identified.
Evidence was presented to a grand jury, which returned a seven-count indictment against GOMES.
NBPD, MSP VFAS, MSP SPDU, and USMS began an investigation into GOMES’ whereabouts. Investigators quickly determined that prior to the indictment, GOMES fled the United States. In conjunction with federal law enforcement partners, investigators closely monitored GOMES’ travel outside of the US.
Today (February 14, 2024) MSP VFAS was notified by USMS that GOMES had boarded an international flight scheduled to arrive at Logan at 2 PM.
MSP VFAS Troopers, members of the NBPD Major Crimes Unit, USMS Deputy Marshals, US Customs and Border Protection Agents, and Troopers from MSP Troop F were waiting at Terminal E for the flight’s arrival, and immediately took GOMES into custody as he stepped back onto US soil.
GOMES will be arraigned at Bristol Superior Court tomorrow.
Images show GOMES restrained with NBPD handcuffs.
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