#Bridgeport, Conn. (February 12, 2015) – Members of the U.S. Marshal’s fugitive task force arrested a man wanted in connection with the shooting of an acquaintance in September 2014.

Bridgeport Detectives Eric King, Robert Martin and Benjamin Andrews, who are members of the task force, arrested Maurice Earley, 21, of Seymour, on Somers Street in Bridgeport Tuesday on charges of first-degree assault and carrying a pistol without a permit.

Earley was wanted in connection with the Sept. 23, 2014, shooting of Marlon Smith, 23, of Bridgeport, on Iranistan Avenue.

Through his investigation, Detective Todd Toth determined that Earley confronted Smith with a gun in the 600 block of Iranistan and that Smith and Earley struggled over the gun. During the struggle, one shot was fired and Smith was struck in the chest. Smith managed to wrest the gun away from Earley, who fled on foot, leaving behind his bicycle and iPad.

Detectives recovered the handgun and ballistic testing confirmed that the bullet removed from Smith was fired from the handgun police recovered at the scene.

“This was textbook police work. Detectives followed the evidence and our forensics investigator linked the handgun not to just this shooting but to a second shooting in 2014,” said Police Chief Joseph L. Gaudett Jr. “As a result of that hard work, both an illegal gun and a dangerous felon were taken off the street.”

Mayor Bill Finch credited detectives with compiling a solid case and then tracking down the gunman.

“I am unfailingly impressed by the dedicated hard work of our detectives and patrol officers,” said Mayor Finch. “As a city, we won’t tolerate people settling disputes with gunfire. Every time we arrest someone who uses a gun to settle a grudge, it sends a message to the community and to the bad guys. Police will work tirelessly to track you down.”