Harvard Law Professor Suspended After Firing Pellet Gun Outside Temple Before Yom Kippur

A visiting professor at Harvard Law School has been placed on administrative leave after allegedly firing a pellet rifle near a Brookline synagogue just hours before Yom Kippur began.

Police arrested 43-year-old Carlos Portugal Gouvea on Wednesday night after witnesses said he fired two shots near Temple Beth Zion on Beacon Street. Gouvea later claimed he was merely “hunting rats,” according to Brookline.News.

Investigators said they do not believe the synagogue was targeted, but Gouvea was charged in Brookline District Court with multiple offenses, including unlawful discharge of a pellet gun, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, and malicious destruction of property.

Harvard Law School spokesperson Jeff Neal told The Post that Gouvea “has been placed on administrative leave as the school seeks to learn more about this matter.” His suspension was first reported by The Harvard Crimson. The school has not announced whether further disciplinary measures will follow.

Police said the incident prompted a large law enforcement response, with more than a dozen officers rushing to the scene as congregants gathered for the start of Yom Kippur prayers.

Two private security guards stationed at the synagogue reportedly heard “two loud shots” and saw Gouvea holding a pellet rifle. When they approached him, he allegedly set down the gun, and a “brief physical struggle” ensued as the guards attempted to detain him, according to the police report.

Officers said Gouvea then fled into a nearby residence but came out moments later, at which point he was arrested. A police inspection later found a shattered car window and a pellet lodged inside the vehicle.

Court records show Gouvea was arraigned on Thursday, pleaded not guilty to all charges, and was released on personal recognizance. He is scheduled to return to court in early November.

Neither Gouvea nor his attorney responded to requests for comment from The Harvard Crimson or Brookline.News. Police again emphasized that there was no evidence suggesting the synagogue was the target.

Gouvea, a Harvard Law alumnus who earned his doctorate in 2008, is also an associate professor at the University of São Paulo Law School and leads a Brazilian think tank focused on social and environmental justice.

Brookline police have not released additional details about the ongoing investigation. The incident occurred amid heightened tension and concern within the Jewish community during the Yamim Noraim.