On May 26, 2011, Officer Andrew Garton, along with motor officers from several other agencies, were escorting a funeral procession for Manhattan Beach Police Officer Mark Vasquez who lost his life after a long battle against cancer.  At the intersection of 227^th Street and Hawthorne Boulevard Officer Garton collided with the motorcycle driven by a sergeant from the El Segundo Police Department.  Officer Garton was tossed into the path of oncoming traffic and struck.  Both he and the El Segundo sergeant were taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries upon arrival.

Officer Garton, 44, was a seven-year veteran of the Hawthorne Police Department and became the first officer killed in the line of duty in the 87-year history of that agency.  In addition to being a motor officer he served on the department’s SWAT team.  He was survived by his wife, Tracy, and two sons, age 7 and 12.

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Daily Breeze, KABC Channel 7 News, ODMP