HARTFORD, Conn — Hartford Detective Bobby Garten will be remembered in a service Saturday at the XL Center, Hartford officials announced on Monday.
Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody posthumously promoted Officer Garten to the rank of Detective as of Sept. 6. According to his obituary, Garten's promotion was in the works before he was killed in the line of duty on that night.
The wake for Garten will be held on Friday, Sept. 15, at Dunkin’ Park. The hours for public attendance at the wake will be from 2 p.m., until 7 p.m. Garten was a dedicated supporter of the Hartford Yard Goats baseball team.
On Saturday, Sept. 16, there will be a Celebration of Life event at the Hartford XL Center. Services will take place inside the XL Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, beginning at 10 a.m. The event is open to all.
As a result of the services, “No Parking” enforcement and towing, along with temporary road closures, will occur in the immediate area of the XL Center. Affected streets will include Market Street, Pleasant Street, Trumbull Street, Church Street, Ann Uccello Street, Allyn Street and Main Street.
Parking and Shuttle Service is available for attendees at the following locations starting at 7:30 a.m.:
1257 Main Street, 310 Market Street, 330 Market Street, 275 Windsor Street
Other parking options are also available near the XL Center.
On Saturday, the Wethersfield Police Department will be assisting the Hartford Police Department with the procession for fallen Hartford Police Detective Robert Garten. The following road closures will occur between the hours of 11 AM and 4 PM:
• Main Street between Marsh and State Street,
• Marsh Street from I-91 to Main Street,
• Hartford Avenue in the area of Main Street,
• Broad Street in the area of Marsh Street,
There will be additional temporary closures to facilitate the funeral procession in the area of the following town roads:
• Silas Deane Highway at RT 5/15 and Jordan Lane
• Hartford Ave between Jordan Ln and State Street.
• State Street from Hartford Ave to Main Street.
Garten's burial is open to the public at Village Cemetery in Wethersfield and a reception at the Wethersfield Community Center following the burial.
Garten was killed by a teen who fled a traffic stop by other city officers on Broad Street last Wednesday.
The suspected driver, identified Thursday as Richard Barrington, 18, of Hartford, sped from the traffic stop on Broad Street. According to officials, Barrington sped through two red lights at the intersection of Broad Street and Farmington Ave. and Broad Street and Asylum Street. The other officers did not chase after Barrington when he fled the traffic stop, the police chief said.
While blowing through the second red light, Barrington's car collided with a Hartford cruiser that's part of the North Street Crimes Unit, said Hartford Police Chief Jason Thody.
Inside the cruiser were Garten and Officer Brian Kearney, who was behind the wheel. After the Accord slammed into their cruiser, Garten and Kearney were rushed to St. Francis Hospital for their injuries.
“Detective Bobby Garten loved Hartford and served this city with tremendous commitment, courage, and compassion,” said Mayor Luke Bronin. “He led a distinguished career and we are forever grateful for all that he gave to our community and to the Hartford Police Department family. Our prayers are with his parents, his family, his loved ones, and his brothers and sisters in the Hartford Police Department. This weekend’s services provide an opportunity for Detective Garten’s loved ones and our entire community to celebrate his life and honor his service.”
“Bobby's dedication and demeanor exemplified what it means to be a Hartford Police Officer. His work earned him accolades from peers and supervisors alike. Officer Garten recently went through the process to be considered for appointment to detective. It is clear that Officer Garten far exceeded the qualifications for promotion. With the support of his loving family, it is my honor to promote Officer Garten to detective effective September 6, 2023. It has been a privilege for all of us at the Hartford Police Department to have served alongside Detective Garten.”
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
Have a story idea or something on your mind you want to share? We want to hear from you! Email us at newstips@fox61.com
HERE ARE MORE WAYS TO GET FOX61 NEWS
Download the FOX61 News APP
iTunes: Click here to download
Google Play: Click here to download
Stream Live on ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching FOX61.
Steam Live on FIRE TV: Search ‘FOX61’ and click ‘Get’ to download.