Massachusetts trial attorney to lead investigation of state police recruit’s death

The Massachusetts attorney general has named a veteran trial attorney to lead an outside investigation into the death of a state police recruit following a training exercise earlier this month.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, of Worcester, died at a hospital on Sept. 13, a day after the exercise in the boxing ring at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree, in Worcester County, about 80 miles (130 kilometers) west of Boston.

Delgado-Garcia was wearing boxing gloves and headgear during the exercise. The medical team determined he required urgent care and took him to the hospital, where he died.

The Massachusetts State Police also said Monday that they have suspended full-contact boxing training activities among recruits until further notice.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell named David Meier to lead an independent investigation into Delgado-Garcia’s death.

Meier has worked as a trial attorney for over 30 years. In 2012-2013, he served as special counsel to then-Gov. Deval Patrick, overseeing the investigation into individuals potentially harmed by misconduct at a state drug lab. Meier had also served as chief of homicide in the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.

“Mr. Meier has deep experience in death investigations and will ensure independence and integrity in this matter,” Campbell said.

Campbell said Meier will have complete authority to select his own investigative team and make his own decisions about the facts, evidence and course of the investigation. The Massachusetts State Police will have no role in the investigative team or decision-making process, she said.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said Delgado-Garcia’s family and the public deserve answers.

“I will be instructing new Col. Geoff Noble to review academy training and policy practices to ensure they best serve the men and women of the State Police,” said Healey, referencing the person recently named to replace Col. John Mawn Jr. as head of the state police in October.

Healey told reporters earlier Monday that she’ll ask Noble to conduct an independent review of the academy’s programs and trainings to make sure they are as strong as possible.

The manner and cause of death for Delgado-Garcia have not been released. Family members told reporters that he suffered broken teeth and a neck fracture.

“The Academy suspended full-contact boxing training activities between trainees until further notice,” Tim McGuirk, a state police department spokesperson, said in a statement Sunday night.

On the day of the exercise, Mawn requested an investigation by the agency’s detective unit that is assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s office, McGuirk said.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said last week that he will name another agency to investigate because of a conflict of interest. Delgado-Garcia worked in his office as a victim witness advocate before joining the state police training program in April.

“The department is fully cooperating with investigatory authorities and urges the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office to name an independent investigator as soon as possible,” McGuirk said.

Mawn also directed the state police’s Division of Standards and Training “to comprehensively review the Academy’s defensive tactics program,” McGuirk said.

“That review remains ongoing and will ensure that the program delivers relevant skills safely and effectively to those preparing to become troopers,” he said.

The review is assessing safety protocols, training methods and curriculum, as well as medical and health considerations, he said. It is soliciting feedback from recruits, instructors, and others.

Details on the boxing training exercise Delgado-Garcia participated in have not been released.

The boxing training has been part of a 25-week, paramilitary-style curriculum that is “both physically and mentally demanding,” the academy says on its website. “While it’s designed to be challenging, it isn’t meant to be impossible.”

Delgado-Garcia’s class is scheduled to graduate Oct. 9. He was administered the oath of office by state police in the final hours of his life.

Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Delgado-Garcia came to Worcester as a young boy, according to his obituary. He received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State University in Springfield, Massachusetts.

“Enrique was an exceptional young man who devoted himself to the service of others,” the obituary said. “He had always dreamed of becoming a state trooper and to be someone big who made a difference in the lives of the people in his community.”

A funeral service has been scheduled for Saturday.

Kathy Mccormack, The Associated Press