A man accused of shooting a former Hartford firefighter during what investigators call a botched drug deal has pleaded not guilty.
Jesus Perez, 37, of Hartford, has been charged with armed robbery and attempted murder in connection with the shooting of Jimmy Ngo in an industrial park in Rocky Hill in April. He pleaded not guilty in court Tuesday.
Ngo, who was an off-duty Hartford Fire Department until he was terminated from the department last week, was shot four to five times in the face and back.
The Hartford Fire Department terminated Ngo from his duties following an internal investigation and the announcement came just days after an arrest warrant detailing the shooting was released. Investigators allege Ngo was shot during a drug deal gone wrong.
According to court documents, Perez told police he planned to sell $35,000-worth of drugs with Ngo. Instead, police said, Perez shot and beat Ngo, who fought back.
Perez took off with the drugs and investigators later found the alleged shooter’s blood in an abandoned car in New Britain, according to authorities, and Perez told troopers Ngo was shot by another person.
Perez’s family had no comment after court. Ngo and his union representative have not returned NBC Connecticut’s requests for comment.
