Police

Update: Man arrested after firing gun near Laurel gas station

JENNIFER GUSTAVSON PHOTO | Southold Town police responded to a report of shots fired near the Empire Gas station on Main Road in Laurel Sunday afternoon.

A Mattituck man was arrested after he allegedly shot at two people near the Empire gas station on Main Road in Laurel Sunday afternoon, Southold Town police said.

Brian Rive, 38, fired a 9mm handgun at two people during a dispute near the gas station about 3:30 p.m., police said. Police responded to the scene, and located Mr. Rive, who was identified as the man with the handgun, police said. A Southold police K-9 unit searched the area and found the handgun near the scene, according to a police report.

Police obtained a search warrant for Mr. Rive’s residence and searched the dwelling. During the investigation, one of Mr. Rive’s pit bulls charged at the police dog helping to search the scene and began “viciously fighting it,” police said. Police were unable to separate the dogs and shot the pitbull, killing it, according to a police report.

After searching the home, police found evidence of guns and illegal drugs, police said.

Mr. Rive was arrested and charged with first-degree reckless endangerment, second-degree criminal possession of a weapons, second-degree menacing and second-degree aggravated harassment. He was held for arraignment, police said.

The alleged shooting comes about a month after a 24-year-old Shirley man was arrested for allegedly attacking a female companion and then reaching for a responding police officer’s gun at the same Laurel gas station.

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