HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – A Hartford man has been convicted of attempted murder and other serious charges after prosecutors said he fired a gun at a police officer in 2021.
Jose Cajigas, 35, was found guilty Tuesday in the Hartford Judicial District, according to State’s Attorney Sharmese Walcott. Alongside attempted murder, Cajigas was convicted of assault on a public safety officer and criminal possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented at trial detailed how on October 26, 2021, a Hartford police officer patrolling Main Street spotted Cajigas walking with an orange umbrella toward her parked cruiser.
The officer engaged Cajigas and requested backup after he approached the driver’s side of her vehicle. When asked if he had been drinking, Cajigas admitted to being intoxicated and possibly needing assistance. The officer instructed him to sit on the hood of her vehicle while she attempted to call for medical help.
Suddenly, a “bang” was heard, and the officer’s vehicle window shattered. She quickly drove away and notified dispatch, later returning to the scene where Cajigas was seen fleeing toward a nearby cemetery. Officers quickly apprehended him without incident.
Investigators found a loaded .22 caliber Jennings firearm and the orange umbrella at the scene. A spent shell casing was discovered near the police cruiser, confirming the officer was fired upon while inside her vehicle.
Cajigas’s sentencing is scheduled for January 9, 2026, at Hartford Superior Court.
