Worcester, Massachusetts– A supervisor and two instructors with a Massachusetts State Police tactical unit were called in on Thursday in connection with the incident. Death of a recruit who suffered a concussion during the sparring session and multiple blunt force injuries the next day in what investigators described as an “unapproved and unsafe” boxing match.
enrique delgado garcia, The 25-year-old died in hospital on September 13, 2024, one day after becoming unresponsive during a defensive tactics drill in a boxing ring and going into a “medical crisis,” authorities said at the time. Charges in these types of cases are extremely rare.
A supervisor and instructors in the police academy’s defensive tactics unit are charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a person participating in a training program, David Meyer, appointed by the Massachusetts Attorney General to investigate the death, said in February. The supervisor was charged with perjury in connection with her testimony before the grand jury.
Lt. Jennifer Benton, a supervisor and sergeant at the time of her indictment, along with Troopers Edwin Rodriguez and David Montanez, were found not guilty of all charges in Worcester Superior Court before Judge J. Gavin Reardon Jr. The fourth officer, Casey Lamonte, is scheduled to be called on April 14.
In the crowded courtroom, Benton, Rodriguez and Montanez stood together and answered “not guilty” repeatedly as the charges were read aloud. On the other side of the courtroom, Delgado Garcia’s relatives sat quietly and looked on. Outside the court, a group of people held signs in support of Delgado Garcia.
The three were released on personal recognizance with several conditions including not having contact with potential witnesses in the case. The judge also scheduled a preliminary conference for June 16 with their attorneys.
Mayer said unsafe sparring sessions led to Delgado-Garcia suffering a concussion. A day later, according to the investigator, the trainee suffered “multiple head injuries and severe brain bleeding” after academy staff failed to stop a training boxing match.
When the charges were announced in February, Brian Williams, president of the Massachusetts State Police Association, said, “The veteran training staff charged today is entitled to the same presumption of innocence and due process afforded to every citizen.”
He said in a statement that the association stands behind its members and will vigorously advocate for them while working with the administration to improve training standards.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell told reporters in February that it was important to conduct an independent and impartial investigation. This comes after calls from several advocacy groups and Delgado Garcia’s family and friends for those responsible for his death to be held accountable.
“The family is relieved that progress has been made in the case from the beginning,” their attorney, Mike Wilcox, said at the time, adding that there was a “light at the end of the tunnel in terms of accountability.”
A series of tragedies across the country in recent years has drawn new attention to the details of the curriculum at law enforcement academies.
An Associated Press investigation, die to serve, It found that more than 30 recruits have died during law enforcement academies since 2015, due to a combination of violent or grueling training, heat, exertion and other medical conditions.
The number of deaths has risen in recent years as departments turn to less traditional candidates to fill vacant positions while maintaining long-term academic training. Investigators generally treated them as unfortunate but unavoidable medical accidents, and criminal charges were not usually considered.
The charges filed in Massachusetts are believed to be the first related to the death of a police academy recruit in years. In examining the deaths of 37 recruits since 2005, the AP was unable to find any other case that led to criminal charges.
Other forms of legal accountability, including civil lawsuits and workplace safety investigations, are rarely pursued. Families struggled to collect federal death benefits, even after Congress passed a law making it clear that draftees were eligible.
Last month, the family of John Marquez Psalms, a San Francisco police recruit who died after collapsing during combat training in August 2025, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the department, alleging negligence. The city attorney’s office issued a statement saying its “thoughts and prayers” were with the family following Psalms’ “tragic” death and that it was reviewing the complaint and would respond to it in court.
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Associated Press writer Ryan J. Foley in Iowa City, Iowa, contributed to this report.