Massachusetts State Police Troopers Face Charges in Connection with Recruit's Death
Four Massachusetts State Police troopers are set to face criminal charges in connection with the death of a recruit during a training exercise nearly two years ago. The recruit, 25-year-old Enrique Delgado-Garcia, passed away after participating in an unauthorized boxing match at the Massachusetts State Police Academy. An independent investigation revealed that Delgado-Garcia experienced concussion-like symptoms during the unsupervised exercise, and the troopers failed to intervene. The four individuals facing charges, including involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury, are Sgt. Jennifer Penton and Troopers Edwin Rodriguez, David Montanez, and Casey LaMonte. The Massachusetts State Police have implemented changes to enhance training at the academy following the incident, including seeking guidance from the International Association of Chiefs of Police and expanding recruit support services.
Delgado-Garcia, a member of the 90th Recruit Training Troop, was tragically unable to graduate as planned and was instead posthumously sworn in and awarded his badge in a hospital ceremony. In response to the incident, state police officials have indicated a shift towards jiu-jitsu training for troopers, moving away from boxing. The arraignment for the four troopers is scheduled to take place at Worcester Superior Court at 2 p.m.