Detective Robert Garten

Robert Garten

Detective Bobby Garten was killed when his patrol car was struck by a fleeing vehicle at the intersection of Asylum Avenue and Broad Street at about 10:30 p.m.

Officers initiated a traffic stop on the vehicle with canceled registration tags. As they approached the car, it sped north on Broad Street; however, officers did not pursue it.

Detective Garten was in the passenger seat of a patrol car traveling east on Asylum Avenue with emergency equipment activated en route to another incident. The fleeing car sped through the Farmington Avenue red traffic signal, and as it was speeding through the red traffic signal at Asylum Avenue, it struck the passenger side of the cruiser.

Detective Garten and the officer driving the cruiser were transported to St. Francis Hospital where Officer Garten succumbed to his injuries. The other officer was admitted in stable condition.

The subject was charged with failure to obey a traffic control signal, failure to renew registration, misuse of plates, and interfering with a police officer. His charges were upgraded to first-degree manslaughter and first-degree assault, reckless endangerment, disobeying the direction of an officer, reckless driving, DUI, and failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. In 2025, he pleaded guilty to manslaughter, first-degree assault, and interfering with a police officer and was sentenced to 16 years.

Detective Garten had served with the Hartford Police Department for eight years. He was a second-generation police officer whose father retired as a detective with the agency. He is survived by his parents, brother, nephews, and grandmother.

Detective Garten was posthumously promoted to the rank of detective.