Hartford, Connecticut Man Rakeem Grant Arrested in Hartford for 2017 Murder

Hartford, Connecticut Man Rakeem Grant Arrested in Hartford for 2017 Murder

HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT — Rakeem Grant, a 37-year-old resident of Vernon, was arrested in Hartford in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in 2017.

According to the Hartford Police Department, Grant was taken into custody on Monday following a coordinated operation involving the Hartford Police Violent Crime Unit and the United States Marshals Violent Fugitive Task Force. Authorities say the incident took place on March 8, 2017, when Stephen Payne of Hartford was shot and killed.

Investigators reported that officers initially responded to a ShotSpotter alert and multiple 911 calls near 2441 Main Street before being directed to an address on Alan Green Way, where Payne was found suffering from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene. After a lengthy investigation, an arrest warrant charging Grant with murder was issued in December 2025.

Grant was transported to custody and is being held on a $2 million bond while facing murder charges related to the incident.