A 20-year-old Connecticut man who killed a police officer in a car crash in 2023 pleaded guilty Tuesday to first-degree manslaughter.
Richard Barrington also admitted to first-degree assault at the hearing, local ABC affiliate WTNH reported. He’s expected to be sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Robert “Bobby” Garten, a 36-year-old member of the Hartford Police Department, was killed in the wreck on Sept. 6, 2023.
Barrington was pulled over after running multiple red lights, according to authorities. Though he initially stopped on the side of the road, he took off after two officers exited their patrol vehicle.
As Barrington sped off, he drove through another intersection and collided with a police cruiser that was heading to another call. The crash killed Garten, who was riding in the passenger seat, and seriously injured the driver, officer Brian Kearney.
Following the crash, Barrington told police he fled because he was unlicensed, the car was unregistered and he had marijuana in the vehicle.
Barrington’s next hearing is scheduled for June 20. He has been behind bars ever since the wreck.
