HARTFORD, Conn. — Exactly one week after the crash, that killed one Hartford police officer and injured another, the community came together to show their support for the Hartford Police Department.
"It is truly inspirational to see how our community is holding us up in our time of need," said Chief Jason Thody.
Right outside of his office window, a police cruiser covered in flowers in memory of Detective Robert “Bobby” Garten.
"I mean it’s been an honor to be there but it’s been hard to be there. You can’t even see the car anymore," Thody said.
Over the last week, people from all over the state have come to pay their respects to the fallen hero.
On Wednesday, they stood side by side with the department in remembering Garten.
"We just wanted to come out here and let this family know and him know and the police department know that we’re here to support them," said Rev. Henry Brown of Mothers United Against Violence.
The group typically hosts vigils for the community in the wake of violence in the city. However, Brown said it was just as important to do so now, this time for the police department.
"We do vigils for everything else but if we can’t do it for our heroes then we can’t do it for nobody they’re here to protect and serve us and we just want to give something back," Brown said.
It gave current and former members of the Hartford police a chance to share their memories.
"You know you talk about community policing, he epitomized that. Because he was part of the community, into the fabric, and he took after his father," said former Hartford chief Daryl Roberts. "He was committed to what he did. He had a passion for it."
As the department prepares to say its final goodbye, they’ll be doing so with Officer Brian Kearney. He was released from the hospital Wednesday after being injured in the crash that took Garten’s life.
Kearney was greeted by his law enforcement family as his road to recovery continued.
"He was focused on two things. 1. Making sure that we were taking care of his brothers and sisters here at the police department and the family and 2. Getting well enough to go to the funeral. So he succeeded," Thody said.
Garten's wake will be held Friday, September 15 at Dunkin Park from 2-7 p.m. A celebration of life will be held Saturday, September 16 at the XL Center at 10 a.m. Both are open to the public.
Gaby Molina is a reporter and anchor at FOX61 News. She can be reached at mmolina@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
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