BOSTON — Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey says she’s committed to getting to the bottom of what led to the death of a state police recruit.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia died from injuries he suffered while in the boxing ring at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree last week.
The 25-year-old was just weeks away from graduating.
Delgado-Garcia previously worked as a victim’s advocate in the Worcester County District Attorney’s office.
[ ‘Devoted’ Mass. State Police recruit dies after ‘medical crisis’ in defensive training exercise ]
Because of that, Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early said Monday that his office could not investigate the case.
“Because of this close relationship, someone else will be handling this matter,” Early said. “There is no way this office can handle this. Everyone loved Enrique.”
It’s not yet clear who will.
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“As governor, I’m committed to making sure that we have a full understanding of what exactly happened, and that we clearly communicate with the public on that,” said Gov. Healey. “My heart goes out to Enrique and his family and all those too who witnessed his death. It happened at the Academy and there were a number of people there who witnessed that, it’s just a really hard situation, horrible and not something you ever, ever want to see.”
The Attorney General tells Boston 25 News they’re working with the DA to find an appropriate independent investigator.
The Academy has had its share of injuries to recruits over the years, prompting reforms.
In 2023, a recruit was hospitalized after accidentally shooting himself in the lower leg during a training exercise.
In 2022, several trainees were injured at the Academy after performing an “unauthorized” exercise. Four troopers were reassigned as a result.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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