WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A supervisor and two instructors with a Massachusetts State Police tactical unit were arraigned Thursday in connection with the death of a recruit who suffered a concussion during a sparring session and several blunt force injuries a day later in what investigators described as an “unapproved and unsafe” boxing match.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, died at a hospital on Sept. 13, 2024, a day after becoming unresponsive during a defensive tactics exercise and undergoing a medical crisis amid the training. Charges in these types of cases are exceedingly rare.
David Meier, who was appointed by the Massachusetts attorney general to investigate the death, reported that the supervisor and instructors are charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a participant in a training program. The supervisor has also been charged with perjury related to her grand jury testimony.
All three defendants entered not guilty pleas on all charges before Worcester Superior Court Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr.
Meier detailed that the unsafe sparring sessions resulted in Delgado-Garcia’s concussion, and that a day later, the trainee sustained multiple blunt force injuries to the head resulting in massive brain bleeding after academy staff failed to halt a training boxing match.
Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez, along with Lt. Jennifer Penton, appeared in court with a fourth trooper, Casey LaMonte, scheduled for arraignment. Following the charges in February, the president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts expressed support for their members, emphasizing their right to due process.
The cases have drawn national attention, prompting calls for accountability in law enforcement training practices. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation following appeals from advocacy groups and Delgado-Garcia's family.
This incident highlights broader concerns regarding training methods within police academies, as numerous deaths of recruits from unsafe training practices have occurred nationally, signaling a need for regulatory changes.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, died at a hospital on Sept. 13, 2024, a day after becoming unresponsive during a defensive tactics exercise and undergoing a medical crisis amid the training. Charges in these types of cases are exceedingly rare.
David Meier, who was appointed by the Massachusetts attorney general to investigate the death, reported that the supervisor and instructors are charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a participant in a training program. The supervisor has also been charged with perjury related to her grand jury testimony.
All three defendants entered not guilty pleas on all charges before Worcester Superior Court Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr.
Meier detailed that the unsafe sparring sessions resulted in Delgado-Garcia’s concussion, and that a day later, the trainee sustained multiple blunt force injuries to the head resulting in massive brain bleeding after academy staff failed to halt a training boxing match.
Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez, along with Lt. Jennifer Penton, appeared in court with a fourth trooper, Casey LaMonte, scheduled for arraignment. Following the charges in February, the president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts expressed support for their members, emphasizing their right to due process.
The cases have drawn national attention, prompting calls for accountability in law enforcement training practices. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell emphasized the importance of a thorough investigation following appeals from advocacy groups and Delgado-Garcia's family.
This incident highlights broader concerns regarding training methods within police academies, as numerous deaths of recruits from unsafe training practices have occurred nationally, signaling a need for regulatory changes.
