Investigation Continues Year after Massachusetts State Police Recruit's Training Death

On Sept. 12, 2024, 25-year-old Massachusetts State Police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia was injured during a training exercise at the State Police Academy in New Braintree. At a hospital the following day, the Worcester resident was sworn in as a trooper — fulfilling one of his lifelong dreams. But hours later, he died of the blunt force injuries that had impacted his head during the training exercise.

On Saturday — the first anniversary of Delgado-Garcia’s death — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued a statement honoring his memory and reaffirming her office’s commitment to uncovering the truth of how he died.

“Every day since the passing of Trooper Delgado-Garcia, we have remembered and honored his courage and dedication to public service, not just as a respected member of the law enforcement community but as a beloved friend, family member, and colleague,” Campbell said.

Nearly a year ago, the attorney general tasked Attorney David Meier with undertaking an independent investigation into Delgago-Garcia’s death. Campbell said in a press release that Meier and his team have been offered the “full support” of the attorney general’s office, but did not give any clue as to when the investigation is expected to be completed.

“We also recognize that this past year has brought many questions, and with them, the frustration and pain that can accompany a thorough and lengthy investigation,” she said.

“I want to assure the public, especially Trooper Delgado-Garcia’s family, that we remain steadfast in our commitment to support the independent investigation, which we are confident will be both comprehensive and impartial.”

State Police also memorialized Delgado-Garcia on Saturday in a social media post.

“With heavy hearts, we remember and honor his life of public service — both as a member of the 90th Recruit Training Troop and as a former victim-witness advocate in Worcester County," the department wrote.

Lingering questions about Delgado-Garcia’s death

Delgado-Garcia’s autopsy report states that he died of complications from “intracranial hemorrhages due to blunt impact injuries of the head in the setting of physical training exercises,” according to his family’s lawyer, Mike Wilcox. The Massachusetts Chief Medical Examiner’s Office ruled his death accidental, the lawyer told MassLive previously.

But Wilcox, who has investigated Delgado-Garcia’s death on his own, discovered that the recruit’s injuries were the result of a boxing match — a detail not specified in the autopsy report, he said. The report states that Delgado-Garcia was “injured during physical training exercises,” according the lawyer.

Additionally, Wilcox believes the State Police recruit was knocked down at least twice during the boxing match.

“The entire exercise — boxing — was unequivocally unnecessary," Wilcox said previously. “[ Massachusetts State Police] is one of the few departments in the country that still has a recruit boxing program.”

Other findings in the autopsy report stated that Delgado-García had a contributing heart issue of “perimyocarditis with progression to inflammatory cardiomyopathy of uncertain etiology,” the attorney said.

“The underlying heart condition did not cause his death. The cause of death was blunt force,” according to Wilcox.

The attorney noted that Delgado-García wore headgear during the boxing match and was in the “prime of his life” when he died.

“I think it’s fair to ask, ‘Was it truly a training exercise or a fight for someone’s entertainment?’” Wilcox asked.

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