Three Massachusetts State Troopers Charged in Recruit's Death

Thu Apr 02 2026 21:44:58 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Charges have been filed against a supervisor and two instructors of a Massachusetts State Police tactical unit in connection with the death of a recruit who suffered severe injuries during an unauthorized boxing match.

In Worcester, Massachusetts, three State Police officers face charges including involuntary manslaughter following the death of recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia. The 25-year-old died from injuries sustained during an unapproved boxing match after suffering a concussion during training. All defendants pleaded not guilty, and the case highlights growing concerns about training safety within law enforcement academies nationwide.

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. Charges in these types of cases are exceedingly rare.

David Meier, who was appointed by the Massachusetts attorney general to investigate the death, said in February that the supervisor and the instructors in the police academy’s defensive tactics unit are charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a person participating in a training program. The supervisor has been charged with perjury in connection with her grand jury testimony.

All three defendants entered not guilty pleas on all charges before Worcester Superior Court Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr.

Meier stated that unsafe sparring sessions led to Delgado-Garcia’s concussion. A day later, the trainee sustained “multiple blunt force injuries to the head and massive brain bleeding” after academy staff failed to stop a training boxing match.

Lt. Jennifer Penton, the supervisor and a sergeant at the time she was charged, along with Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez, were arraigned in Worcester Superior Court on Thursday. A fourth trooper, Casey LaMonte, will be arraigned on April 14.

When the charges were announced in February, Brian Williams, the president of the State Police Association of Massachusetts, emphasized that “the veteran training staff indicted today are entitled to the same presumption of innocence and due process guaranteed to every citizen.” The association stands behind its members and is committed to improving training standards.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell indicated that an independent, impartial investigation was crucial, following calls from advocacy groups and Delgado-Garcia’s family for accountability. “The family is relieved there has been progress in the case from the beginning,” their attorney stated at the announcement.

A series of fatalities in law enforcement training programs across the nation has raised questions about the safety of training curricula, as more than 30 recruits have died due to grueling exercises, heat, and other medical conditions since 2015. The tragic incidents highlight ongoing scrutiny of police training practices.

The charges in Massachusetts represent a rare instance of legal accountability concerning the death of a police academy recruit, as previous incidents have often been classified merely as unfortunate medical incidents.