Hartford Police Department holds vigil for fallen officer Bobby Garten

HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — It’s been one year since Officer Robert “Bobby” Garten was killed in the line of duty, and on Friday, his family, friends and police community honored him with a vigil.

His police cruiser, badge number and photo were displayed in front of the Hartford Police Department, with hundreds coming out to show their support for the Garten family.

The Garten family released a balloon into the sky.

His brother, Will Garten, said that thinking about happy times gets him through the loss.

“Just thinking about the happy times, the pictures, the slideshow tonight will be very emotional,” Will Garten said. “It was a short time, but we still had a time.”

His mother left a powerful message.

“He would call me every day and we always ended our conversations with ‘I love you,'” Debbie Garten said. “My message to all first responders here today and everyone else, please take a moment each day to call your loved ones. I am so blessed to have shared those precious moments with Bobby on the moment he was taken from me.”

His family said that they don’t just think of Bobby on the one year anniversary of his death, they have thought about him every day for the last year.

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