A police officer in Hartford, Connecticut is lucky to be alive after a woman rushed at him with a knife, swiping at his head and neck. The disturbing attack was caught on video after an auto theft arrest in a residential neighborhood.
ABC News8 reporter Bob Wilson reported that the attack took less than two seconds as a woman rushed out of her home and sprinted towards detectives, who were on scene at Taylor Drive to tow away a stolen vehicle.
“I am literally awestruck at how fast that detective reacted,” said Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody. “She was originally walking in their direction and then when she was about 50 feet or so away, she accelerated into a sprint, extended her arm, and came at the officers.”
Woman Who Charged At Police Officers With Knife ‘Came Out Of Nowhere’
Police say that the attack came out of nowhere. A woman, unrelated to the auto theft incident, walked out of her home with a knife and sprinted straight towards the police. Although she tried swiping at his face and neck, the officer was able to subdue her on the ground. Other police officers assisted in getting her into custody.
Police arrested 40-year-old Sheila Caldarone and charged her with attempted murder, attempted assault, and attempted assault on a police officer. She suffered minor injuries as she continued to attack the officers by biting their shoes.
Thody continued to explain, “She was able to bite one of the detective’s shoes while they were trying to take her into custody. She continued to resist.”
Motive Unclear, Possible Drug Use May Be A Contributing Factor
BREAKING: #Hartford police have arrested a woman accused of attempting to stab a Hartford detective. See the video of the attempted attack on the News 8 app https://t.co/Ox6lT0ayhi
— WTNH News 8 (@WTNH) December 10, 2021
Police are still trying to determine a motive for the attack. She was not involved with the auto incident and she was not a bystander. Officials on the scene say that she came out of her house with a knife in hand and started to attack.
“It is believed that she was under the influence of drugs at the time,” Thody continued. “We took her to the hospital to make sure that she would get the help that she needed, but I don’t know of us getting a rational reason for this.”
This is the second attempted murder of a Hartford police officer in the last six weeks. Police arrested 31-year-old Jose Cajigas for attempted murder when he allegedly walked up to the window of a police cruiser and fired at point-blank range at the officer sitting inside. The bullet narrowly missed her.
“I’m concerned because this is the second time this has happened in a short period of time,” Thody continued. “These attacks on police officers have been unprovoked and they are completely unacceptable.”
The police chief is taking measures to make sure that police are safe by doubling up police officers during investigations, especially at night.
