Eric D. Cox, 43, of Southington, was sentenced on Apr. 2 to 29 months in prison and two years of supervised release for firearm and narcotics offenses related to a shooting that occurred in Hartford in 2020, according to David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut.
The sentencing follows a violent incident near Hartford Hospital on September 4, 2020. Evidence presented during the trial showed that Cox was involved in an altercation where he was slashed with a knife. In response, Cox drew a gun and fired multiple shots at his assailant and others nearby, resulting in a bystander being shot several times. Police recovered cartridge casings from Jefferson Street at the scene of the stabbing and shooting. A hospital employee found a discarded .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol outside the emergency department entrance and alerted law enforcement.
A search of Cox’s vehicle after the incident led police to discover approximately 28 grams of cocaine inside a bag. Forensic analysis later confirmed that Cox’s DNA was present on the recovered firearm.
Cox has a prior federal conviction from 2008 for distributing crack cocaine. On November 21, 2025, a jury found him guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon as well as possession of cocaine.
Cox is currently released on $100,000 bond but is required to report to prison on August 6. The other individual involved in the altercation was prosecuted separately by the Hartford State’s Attorney’s Office.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Hartford Police Department with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert S. Dearington and Mary G. Vitale prosecuted this case.
