National Police Week May 10th - 16th
In 1962, President Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day and the calendar week in which May 15 falls, as National Police Week. Established by a joint resolution of Congress in 1962, National Police Week pays special recognition to those law enforcement officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty for the safety and protection of others.
The following list of Police Officers lost thier lives in the line of duty for the safety and protectoin of the residents of the Town of East Hartford.
- Chief Robert W. Kappenberg
On Tuesday, September 19, 1916, Chief Kappenberg was directing traffic on Main Street near Bissell Street when he tried to divert a motorist driving on the wrong side of Main Street. While trying to redirect the errant vehicle, Kappenberg was struck in the back by a second car. Chief Kappenberg was taken to Hartford Hospital where he died on Sunday, October 8, 1916. Chief Kappenberg was the first East Hartford police officer killed in the line of duty. Chief Kappenberg’s name is memorialized on both the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Law Enforcement Memorial in Meriden, Connecticut.
- Officer J. Eugene Callahan
Officer John Eugene Callahan, known commonly as “Gene”, was on motorcycle patrol on Connecticut Boulevard on Friday, May 18, 1934. At approximately 3:45 PM, a truck driven by Peter Perretto suddenly pulled away from the curb to make a u-turn. Officer Callahan struck the truck and was thrown from his motorcycle. Police blotter entries show that Perretto was arrested for Reckless Driving and Failure to Follow the Rules of the Road. Officer Callahan was taken to St. Francis Hospital where he was treated until October 22, 1934. Officer Callahan returned to limited police desk duty on October 1, 1935, and died of a heart attack on Sunday, November 12, 1939. Dr. F. Wellington Brecker directly attributed Officer Callahan’s death to his accident in 1934, and in June of 1940 his death was certified by the State Police Association of Connecticut as having occurred in the line of duty. Officer Callahan was the second East Hartford police officer to give his life in the line of duty. Both the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Connecticut Police Chiefs Law Enforcement Memorial declined to add Officer Callahan’s name to their respective memorials, as he had passed away too long after his initial accident, and from apparent natural causes, which do not meet enshrinement requirements.
- Officer Brian A. Aselton
Officer Brian A. Aselton, employee #251, was working the evening shift on Saturday, January 23, 1999, when, at 9:15 PM, he answered a Noise Complaint at 454 ½ Main Street. Unbeknownst to Officer Aselton, he was walking into a home invasion robbery at an apartment. Officer Aselton confronted two suspects in the hallway as they tried to leave the scene. A female suspect fled out the rear stairwell. Officer Aselton was able to grab hold of the male suspect, Alex Sostre, and the two struggled. Sostre pulled out a .38 caliber revolver from his pants pocket, which he had stolen during the robbery, and shot Officer Aselton once in the head, killing him. Sostre then fled the scene. Officer Aselton’s funeral and burial was held on Thursday, January 28, 1999, with over (estimated) 10,000 law enforcement officers from across the United States and Canada in attendance. After a joint investigation by the East Hartford Police and Connecticut State Police, assisted by numerous other law enforcement agencies, Sostre and three accomplices, Erica Vilchel, Nency Forty (who had been in the apartment with Sostre,) and Jose Gonzalez, were arrested in less than a week. Sostre pled guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole; his accomplices all received long prison terms. Officer Aselton was the third East Hartford police officer killed in the line of duty, and his name is memorialized on both the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., and the Connecticut Police Chiefs Law Enforcement Memorial in Meriden, Connecticut. Numerous positive activities, including a Red Cross blood drive, charity motorcycle run, and scholarship fund, have been established in Officer Aselton’s name.