Charges Filed in Recruit's Death Following Unsafe Training Practices in Massachusetts

Thu Apr 02 2026 21:30:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Three members of Massachusetts State Police are charged with manslaughter and other offenses related to unsafe training practices that led to the death of a police recruit during a boxing exercise.

A supervisor and two instructors from a Massachusetts State Police tactical unit were arraigned for involuntary manslaughter and related charges following the death of a recruit, Enrique Delgado-Garcia. He fell into a medical crisis during an unapproved boxing match, raising serious concerns regarding police training standards.

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 in a boxing ring and undergoing a “medical crisis,” authorities said at the time. Charges in these types of cases are exceedingly rare.

David Meier, appointed by the Massachusetts attorney general to investigate the death, noted that the charged individuals are liable for alleged involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a participant in a training program. The supervisor herself also faces charges of perjury linked to her grand jury testimony.

All three defendants pleaded not guilty before Worcester Superior Court Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr. on Thursday.

Meier indicated that inadequate safety measures in sparring sessions contributed significantly to Delgado-Garcia’s condition, which escalated a day later when the trainee sustained “multiple blunt force injuries to the head and massive brain bleeding” following an unauthorized training boxing match.

Lt. Jennifer Penton, a sergeant at the time, along with Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez, attended their arraignment in Worcester Superior Court. A fourth officer, Casey LaMonte, is scheduled to be arraigned on April 14.

Brian Williams, president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, voiced support for the veteran training staff, emphasizing their right to due process, while stating that the association would collaborate with the department to enhance training standards.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell expressed the necessity of conducting an independent and impartial inquiry into the matter following calls for accountability from several advocacy groups, as well as Delgado-Garcia’s family.

The tragic incident highlights a growing concern over training practices, with an Associated Press investigation revealing that more than 30 recruits have died during law enforcement academies since 2015, raising alarms about the adequacy of safety protocols during police training.