Four Massachusetts Police Academy Educators Face Charges After Cadet Dies In Training

Four Massachusetts constabulary academy educators are expected to look charges complete nan death of a cadet during an unauthorized boxing match.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, suffered a concussion aft a sparring convention and past participated successful what investigators described arsenic an “unapproved and unsafe” boxing lucifer nan adjacent day.

The 2 incidents led to nan cadet suffering a monolithic encephalon bleed and he died successful infirmary connected September 13, 2024, according to investigators.

The conflict was being overseen by Lt. Jennifer Penton, the supervisor and a sergeant astatine nan time, prosecutors said, on pinch Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez. It took spot successful New Braintree, Massachusetts, astir 80 miles westbound of Boston.

All 3 were arraigned successful Worcester Superior Court Thursday and charged pinch involuntary manslaughter and causing superior bodily wounded to a personification participating successful a training programme involving beingness exercise.

David Meier, who was appointed by nan Massachusetts lawyer wide to analyse Delgado-Garcia’s death, said nan unsafe sparring sessions led to nan cadet becoming concussed.

A time later, nan interrogator said, nan trainee sustained “multiple blunt unit injuries to nan caput and monolithic encephalon bleeding” aft academy unit grounded to extremity a training boxing match.

All 3 defendants entered not blameworthy pleas connected nan charges astatine Thursday’s hearing. They were released connected individual recognizance bail, meaning they did not request to pay, and were ordered not to person immoderate interaction pinch imaginable witnesses.

Penton is besides charged pinch perjury aft being accused of giving repeated mendacious answers during nan investigation. Her arraignment connected that complaint is scheduled for later this month.

The manslaughter lawsuit for Penton, Rodriguez and Montanez is owed backmost successful tribunal connected June 16 for a pretrial conference, but nan 3 troopers are capable to beryllium excused from appearing successful person.

A 4th trooper who investigators opportunity was besides coming astatine nan clip of nan incident, Casey LaMonte, is expected to beryllium arraigned connected April 14.

When nan charges were announced successful February, Brian Williams, nan president of nan State Police Association of Massachusetts, said “the seasoned training unit indicted coming are entitled to nan aforesaid presumption of innocence and owed process guaranteed to each citizen.”

He said nan relation stands down its members and will vigorously take sides them while moving pinch nan section to amended training standards.

"These are bully people. These are not group who are violent,” defense lawyer Kevin Reddington said during Thursday’s hearing, per CBS.

The Associated Press reports Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell told reporters successful February that it was important that an independent, impartial investigation beryllium conducted.

It follows calls from respective defense groups and Delgado-Garcia’s family and friends for those responsible for his decease to beryllium held accountable.

“The family is relieved location has been advancement successful nan lawsuit from nan beginning,” their attorney, Mike Wilcox, said astatine nan time, adding that location was “light astatine nan extremity of nan passageway successful position of accountability.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.