A 32-year-old Norwich man who was convicted in connection with a homicide and a violent sexual assault as a teen-ager was presented Monday in New London Superior Court on charges that he fired four shots from a revolver during an altercation with his cousin at the Oakwood Knoll housing complex in Norwich.

Nobody was injured in the April 17, 2017 incident, but police allege that Tamir D. Dixon carried out the shooting within 100 feet of two Uncas School playgrounds which were occupied by children involved in after school activities. The school was placed in lock-down due to the shooting, according to an arrest warrant affidavit.

Dixon, who is being held at the Corrigan-Radgowski Correctional Center in lieu of bonds totaling $350,500, initially appeared in court in Norwich following his arrest in October. On Monday, he was presented in the court where major crimes are tried. He pleaded not guilty to attempted first-degree assault, first-degree reckless endangerment, illegal discharge of a firearm and criminal possession of a firearm.  

Dixon has retained defense attorney Robert F. Kappes and is due back in court on Dec. 19.

According to the warrant for his arrest, witnesses heard Dixon arguing with a man, later identified by police as his unnamed cousin, while a third man, Dimitri Thomas, attempted to remove Dixon from the scene.

Dixon told the victim, "I don't give a (expletive) about your kids," as Thomas attempted to push him away from the cousin.  When the cousin asked Dixon, "What do you have in your pocket?" witnesses said Dixon pulled out a revolver and ran toward the cousin as he fired three rounds into the ground and aimed one at the cousin. 

The shooter then fled in a green BMW with Thomas, witnesses said.

Dixon is also charged with a violation of probation, having been convicted of possession in crack cocaine in 2015 in sentenced to three years probation. Norwich police also said Dixon failed to register as a sexual offender stemming from a conviction dating back to 2004.

As an 18-year-old, Dixon had thrown the first punch that led to the May 2004 beating death of Billy Derose in Norwich by a group of men and boys, according to court testimony and news reports. Around the same time, he was charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl at a party. He pleaded guilty to both of those crimes and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, suspended after 8½ years served, 10 years of probation. He was ordered to register as a sex offender for life.

k.florin@theday.com