4 Massachusetts State Police Trainers Charged in Recruit's Death

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

A supervisor and three instructors with the Massachusetts State Police Academy were indicted in connection with the death of Enrique Delgado-Garcia, a 25-year-old police recruit who died following a training exercise on defensive tactics in 2024. An independent investigation found the staff committed "a series of wanton and reckless acts" that resulted in Delgado-Garcia's death from blunt force trauma to the head.

Why it matters

Delgado-Garcia's death while training to become a state trooper has raised serious concerns about the safety and oversight of the Massachusetts State Police Academy's training program. The indictments of the training staff mark a rare instance of law enforcement officials being held criminally accountable for a recruit's death during training.

The details

According to the investigation, Delgado-Garcia suffered concussion-like symptoms and multiple blunt force injuries to the head, including brain bleeding, after instructors failed to stop an unauthorized boxing match between recruits on September 12, 2024. Delgado-Garcia died the next day from his injuries. The head of the academy's defensive tactics unit, Sgt. Jennifer Penton, and three troopers under her command - Edwin Rodriguez, David Montanez, and Casey LaMonte - were charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious injury to a person participating in a physical training exercise.

• Delgado-Garcia was injured during a training exercise on September 12, 2024.
• Delgado-Garcia died on September 13, 2024.

What’s next

The manslaughter and training injury-related charges against the troopers will be prosecuted in Worcester Superior Court, while the perjury charge against Penton will be prosecuted in Middlesex Superior Court. Arraignment dates for the troopers have not yet been set.