Johnathan Walker:'Heartbreaking': Mass. police recruit dies after getting knocked out in training exercise

NEW BRAINTREE,Johnathan Walker Mass. — A Massachusetts family is demanding a full investigation after a state police recruit died after being injured during a training exercise late last week at the Massachusetts State Police Academy.

Police said Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, of Worcester was injured and became unresponsive during a training exercise Thursday on defensive tactics. He died the next day.

The exercise involved boxing, according to WBZ-CBS News Boston.

The boxing component at the Massachusetts State Police Academy was suspended and revamped in the 1990s to respond to injury concerns, a former state police instructor told the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, part of the USA TODAY Network, Monday.

After giving aid to the recruit, the academy’s medical team determined that urgent care was required, and the trainee was transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, state police said.

"Despite the heroic efforts of medical professionals to deliver lifesaving care, Trainee Delgado-Garcia died at the hospital," state police said in a statement Friday evening.

State police administer oath of office in recruit's final hours

The state police administered the oath of office to Delgado-Garcia in his final hours in a bilingual ceremony with family, friends and classmates, culminating with the pinning of his trooper badge.

On Saturday, Delgado-Garcia's body was transferred from the hospital to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Westfield. Several state police vehicles accompanied the transport vehicle on the route.

Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr's office confirmed that the trainee once worked in the DA's office.

Early, citing a potential conflict of interest, said the inquiry into Delgado-Garcia's death would be handled by another agency.

"This is a heartbreaking and tragic loss," an emotional Early said during a news conference at the Worcester County Courthouse Monday.

Boxing program previously halted due to injury concerns

Todd McGhee, who retired from the state police in 2011 after 24 years, told the Telegram & Gazette that the boxing program was suspended in the late 1990s after injury concerns. 

“It was nothing to this level,” McGhee said of the prior injuries, which, he said, led to a program overhaul under his watch. 

McGhee, who is now a security consultant, said the purpose of the program was to make sure that recruits had exposure to live physical confrontation, since not everyone had been in a schoolyard brawl or fight. 

It was and remains important, McGhee said, that people trained to use force — including deadly force — have been in physical confrontation prior to starting the job. 

McGhee said he believed many of the injuries that led to the program’s suspension had to do with mismatched opponents and a lack of controls. 

As a result, he said, he and his team revamped and scaled back the program. He said boxers fought two-minute rounds, were matched according to size and were given 16-ounce gloves, as well as head and groin protection, and mouth guards. 

McGhee said he put about 400 to 500 recruits through the program without issue, and noted the academy has since trained thousands. 

“While this is a tragedy, and it never should have happened; injuries to this level are very rare,” he said.

'A true son of Worcester'

Gov. Maura Healey issued this statement: "I’m heartbroken about the loss of Massachusetts State Police Trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who had committed himself to a career protecting the people of Massachusetts. He was a beloved member of his academy class, known for his compassion and devotion to service. This is a devastating time for all who knew and loved him, and we are holding Enrique’s family and his State Police community in our hearts."

In Worcester, City Council Vice Chairman Khrystian King referred to Delgado-Garcia as "a true son of Worcester" and called for an impartial investigation.

"This investigation must be conducted without conflicts of interest and in full transparency," King said in a statement. "It is the least we owe to Enrique, his family, and our community in the pursuit of justice and accountability."

In 2022, a recruit at the academy was injured when he shot himself in the leg during a shooting exercise. At the time, the agency said the shooting was accidental.