BOSTON (AP) — A supervisor and three instructors with a Massachusetts State Police tactical unit have been charged in connection with the death of a recruit following a boxing match during training, the official who led an independent investigation into the case said Monday.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, died in a hospital on September 13, 2024, a day after he became unresponsive during a defensive tactics exercise in a boxing ring and had a “medical crisis,” authorities said at the time.
David Meier, who was appointed by the Massachusetts attorney general to investigate the death, said the supervisor and instructors in the Massachusetts State Police Academy’s defensive tactics unit are being charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious injury to a person participating in a training program. The supervisor was also charged with perjury in connection with her testimony at the grand trial.
“Each of these individuals owed a duty of care to Enrique Delgado-Garcia,” Meir told reporters. “Each of them committed a series of reckless and reckless acts and omissions that resulted in the death of Enrique Delgado-Garcia.”
Meier said Delgado-Garcia was first involved in “unauthorised, unapproved and unsafe” sparring sessions. A day later, Delgado-Garcia suffered “multiple blunt force injuries to the head and a massive brain bleed” after academy staff failed to stop a boxing training match.
Those accused include the supervisor, Sgt. Jennifer Penton, along with Troopers Edwin Rodriguez, David Montanez and Casey LaMonte. They will not be arrested, and an arraignment date will be set in the future, Meier said.
A lawyer for Penton declined to comment. Attorneys for Rodriguez and Montaneza could not be reached for comment while it was unclear if LaMonte has an attorney. Phone numbers could not be found for any of the four.
Brian Williams, the president of the Massachusetts State Police Association, said that “the veteran training staff charged today is entitled to the same presumption of innocence and due process guaranteed to every citizen.”
“The Association firmly supports its members and intends to vigorously defend them against these charges as we continue to work collaboratively with the Department to strengthen and improve training standards,” Williams said in a statement.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell told reporters it was important to have an independent and impartial investigation into Delgado-Garcia’s death. The investigation follows calls from several advocacy groups and Delgado-Garcia’s family and friends to hold those responsible for his death accountable.
“The family is relieved that there has been progress in the case since the beginning,” said the family’s attorney, Mike Wilcox. “Today is a big day. The family is relieved that they are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in terms of accountability here.”
Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, the executive director of the Lawyers for Civil Rights, said he was “moved to see that the State Police will be held responsible for the tragic loss of life.”
“Regardless of their background, all cadets at the police academy must be safe and protected,” he said. “Creating a safe environment is vital to ensuring that our public institutions reflect the communities they serve. The troubled Delgado-Garcia family deserves justice, and this tragedy must lead to meaningful reforms.”
Last year, an AP investigation found that at least 29 recruits have died during basic training at law enforcement academies across the country in the past decade. Many died from exertion, dehydration, heatstroke and other conditions linked to intense exercise – often on the first day of training. Others died several weeks at a time, sometimes after suffering trauma during boxing or use-of-force drills or collapsing during high-stakes races on hot days.