WORCESTER, MA. — On Sept. 12, 2024, Massachusetts State Police recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, was gravely injured during a training exercise at the State Police Academy in New Braintree. The following day, he was sworn in at the hospital, realizing his dream of becoming a trooper. Just hours later, he died from blunt force head injuries sustained during training.
On the first anniversary of his death, Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued a statement honoring Delgado-Garcia’s service and reaffirming her office’s commitment to uncovering the truth about what happened.
“Every day since the passing of Trooper Delgado-Garcia, we have remembered and honored his courage and dedication to public service,” Campbell said. “I want to assure the public, especially his family, that we remain steadfast in our commitment to support the independent investigation, which we are confident will be both comprehensive and impartial.”
Campbell appointed attorney David Meier nearly a year ago to lead the independent probe. While she noted that the process has been lengthy and difficult for the family, she emphasized that her office has provided “full support” to Meier and his team. No timeline for the investigation’s completion has been given.
The Massachusetts State Police also marked the anniversary with a tribute:
“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.”
Lingering Questions
Delgado-Garcia’s autopsy report cited “intracranial hemorrhages due to blunt impact injuries of the head in the setting of physical training exercises.” The death was ruled accidental by the state medical examiner.
But his family’s lawyer, Mike Wilcox, has raised serious concerns. He said his own investigation revealed Delgado-Garcia was injured during a boxing match, a detail not explicitly mentioned in the autopsy. Wilcox believes the recruit was knocked down multiple times during the exercise.
“The entire exercise — boxing — was unequivocally unnecessary,” Wilcox said. “[Massachusetts State Police] is one of the few departments in the country that still has a recruit boxing program.”
The autopsy also noted a contributing heart condition — perimyocarditis progressing to cardiomyopathy — though Wilcox maintains the fatal injuries came from blunt force trauma.
Delgado-Garcia was wearing protective headgear at the time of the match. To Wilcox, that fact raises a larger question:
“Was it truly a training exercise, or a fight for someone’s entertainment?”
