Our Hartford community has been devastated after a brave Hartford police officer was tragically killed in the line of duty. Promoted to the role of detective posthumously, Robert "Bobby" Garten’s life was cut short in a crash while responding to a call in Hartford on September 6. Detective Garten was in the passenger seat of a police cruiser when a driver struck the vehicle at a high rate of speed on Asylum Avenue. The driver, Officer Brian Kearney, was seriously hurt and released from Saint Francis Hospital a week after the crash. I send positive and healing thoughts, as Officer Kearney recovers from the physical wounds we see and the emotional wounds we don't see, following the loss of his Street Crimes Unit partner.
My thoughts are with the family of Bobby Garten, his loved ones, and the entire Hartford Police Department. This tragedy is heartbreaking and serves as a reminder that law enforcement officers risk their lives every day to protect our community. Detective Garten was an eight-year veteran of the Hartford Police Department and the son of a now-retired Hartford police detective, making him second-generation law enforcement. He was a role model who inspired others to be the best they could be through their actions, values, and achievements.
This past weekend, Detective Garten was laid to rest in his hometown of Wethersfield, following calling hours at Dunkin' Park on Friday and a Celebration of Life at the XL Center on Saturday.
I want to acknowledge and thank the Connecticut Institute for Community Development (CICD) - Puerto Rican Parade Committee for making the decision to postpone the Hartford Puerto Rican Parade and Festival. Hartford is grieving as a community, and the committee recognized that now is not the time for a celebration. A new date for the parade and festival will be determined when the time is right.
Detective Garten was an amazing person, brother, son, and police officer. The Hartford community will never be the same without him, and he will be sorely missed.
