Fallen Hartford Officer Wanted To Be Like His Dad: UPDATE

HARTFORD, CT — Bobby Garten just wanted to be like his father, who, according to Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody, was a colleague of the chief's when he started at the HPD.

And it was with that desire to serve the community, that Garten, a second-generation police officer, gave his life for his city at the age of 34 Wednesday night.

The eight-year police veteran was a passenger in a police cruiser that collided with a fleeing vehicle from a separate call late Wednesday night, Thody said in a press conference Thursday morning, one that also featured Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin.

Bronin said the city, simply, is in mourning.

"My prayers, the prayers of my family and the prayers of the whole city are with Officer Garten's family," a visibly emotional Bronin said Thursday. "This is a devastating loss for our community and our department and our whole city is grieving this morning."

The accident also injured HPD Officer Brian Kearney who was driving. He was last reported to be in guarded, but stable condition, at Saint Francis Hospital.

The driver of the car that collided with the cruiser was also hurt, suffering minor injuries.

Thody said that driver was in custody and charged in connection with the crash, identifying the suspect as Hartford resident Richard Barrington, 18, who lives on Sharon Street, Hartford.

He said Barrington was behind the wheel of the Honda Accord that slammed into the vehicle Garten and Kearney were in.

According to Thody, Barrington was charged with: failure to obey a traffic control signal; failure to renew registration; misuse of plates; and interfering with a police officer.

Thody said the crash, as well as all of the events leading up to it, were "captured on video."

Incident details

The chief also gave a detailed account of what happened in Hartford Wednesday night, when two separate incidents came together to spawn a single, department tragedy.

Thody said a separate HPD unit observed Barrington's Honda Accord violate a traffic control signal at about 10:20 p.m.

Police pulled the Accord over at 285 Broad St. and, while the two officers exited the vehicle, the Accord then sped off, fleeing the scene "at a high rate of speed," the chief said.

Thody said those officers did not pursue the fleeing vehicle.

According to the chief, the Accord ran through two red lights when it collided with another police cruiser, the Chevrolet Impala Garten and Kearney were in, rushing to another, separate call.

The collision happened in the vicinity of the Asylum Avenue/Broad Street intersection, according to the accident report.

Thody declined to give details about the nature of that call.

Visibly choked up at times, Thody, thanked all of the area police departments that have paid tribute to Garten's memory and offered support.

Earlier in the morning, a long procession of law enforcers statewide conducted a solemn escort of Garten's body as it was transported from the hospital to the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner in Farmington.

'Loved this city'

Meanwhile, Bronin said Garten was a tribute to his family, his friends and his city.

"Bobby loved this city. He grew up going to Whalers games, loved going to Yard Goats games now," Bronin said. "He served this city with courage and compassion and tremendous skill and dedication."

He said Garten served on the HPD's street crime unit, a role that often put him face-to-face with some of the city's most dangerous criminals.

Bronin then recounted a story, saying Garten's mother Wednesday urged her son to "be safe out there."

Garten, Bronin said, responded with "I always am."

On Wednesday, Garten was doing just that as he did his job, Bronin said, but the results of what happened show the level of danger police work brings.

"That's a reminder that every one of our officers, no matter how safe they are, put themselves in the line of danger every day and we are so grateful to them for what they do for this community," Bronin said.

Thody said the department is utilizing local clergy and counselors to help officers cope with the loss, the first line-of-duty death for the HPD since the mid-1990s, when an officer died of a heart attack.

"We are devastated at the loss of Bobby. He was an amazing person that exemplified what it means to be a Hartford Police Officer. His commitment to serve was above reproach. Our HPD family has come together to support Bobby's family, honor his memory, and do what he would want us to do, protect and serve the Hartford community," Thody said in a statement later in the day.

Said Bronin: "The Hartford Police Department is a family and I know that loss is immeasurable. We will miss a great officer and a great man."

Accident investigation

According to Connecticut State Police, state authorities are investigating the accident "at the request of the Hartford State's Attorney’s Office.

As a result, the State Police Central District Major Crime Squad, in conjunction with the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Squad, is probing the fatal collision.

The accident report showing specific details of the crash was posted online by Connecticut State Police at this link.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or the moments prior to the collision are asked to contact state police Det. Timothy Nohelty at timothy.nohelty@ct.gov or Det. Albert Gorski at albert.gorski@ct.gov.

For the full WFSB Channel 3 report, click on this link.

For the Connecticut State Police news page, click on this link.

From Sept. 7: 'Lamont: Flags At Half-Staff For Fallen Hartford Police Officer'