Convicted felon arrested with stolen gun

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)-- New Haven police have arrested a convicted felon on gun charges on Wednesday.

Police responded to Blake Street and Whittlesey Avenue around 11:16 PM, when someone reported a man was waving a gun in the air.

Police say Daniel Watts, 29, threw the gun to the ground when he saw officers approach him, but he refused to follow their order to lie on the ground and struggled with officers, before being handcuffed.

The  .22 caliber handgun recovered, had been stolen from Meriden on November 5th, 2011.

When asked why he was there with a gun, Watts told officers he was looking for revenge for his cousin's murder on that block a few years ago.

Police say a woman who claimed to be Watt's aunt, told officers that seven years ago, Watts' brother had been murdered in the area in January.  For the past several days, she said Watts had been standing on the street, holding a handgun, high on PCP.

The woman also told police that Watts' uncle had taken one gun from him a few days ago and turned into the New Haven Police Department, during the December 29th gun buy-back. She did not report any of the incidents to police.

Watts was arrested for commission of three gun crimes, including weapon's theft.

He previously had been convicted of drug sales, risk of injury to a minor, larceny and weapons crimes.