Norwich — City police on Friday charged a 38-year-old man with attempted murder and arson in connection with an early morning fire Wednesday that damaged a Greeneville building, causing evacuations.

Tyree L. Davis, a registered sexual offender whose last known address is 42 Merchants Ave., Taftville, was arrested on a warrant at Norwich Superior Court, where he was appearing in connection with an earlier arrest. He was newly charged with criminal attempt to commit murder, first-degree arson, first-degree reckless endangerment and first-degree criminal mischief in the fire at 261-263 Central Ave.

Police had arrested Davis on Wednesday, serving him with a warrant issued in December that charged him with violating a protective order.

In Wednesday’s fire, city police and city firefighters responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a structure fire at the occupied building, which houses two businesses and two upstairs apartments. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze.

The building’s fire alarm system alerted several occupants of the building, who escaped unharmed.

The fire marshal’s office investigated the cause of the fire with the help of police fire investigators and a state police K-9 unit. The fire marshal ruled the fire “incendiary,” at which point city detectives and fire investigators assumed responsibility for the probe. 

Davis was held on a $1 million bond, pending his arraignment on the fire-related charges. He also was charged with failure to submit to fingerprinting and faced an additional $5,000 bond.

He already was being held on $100,000 bond in connection with his previous arrest.

Police released no other information, saying the arrest warrant was sealed and that the investigation of the fire was ongoing. They said they anticipate additional arrests.