Local News
A big law enforcement presence gathered in Worcester on Saturday to honor a state police recruit who died after becoming unresponsive during a training exercise.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, died in a hospital on September 13, a day after he became unresponsive and suffered a “medical crisis” during a defensive tactics exercise in a boxing ring, authorities said. The attorney general has since named a lawyer to steer an outdoor investigation into the death of Delgado-Garcia, whose funeral was held Saturday.
Delgado-Garcia's mother and others have said they need answers and accountability from the investigation, and he or she has raised questions on whether the training exercise was unnecessarily violent.
On Saturday, police carried Delgado-Garcia's casket, decorated with an American flag, from a funeral home as a part of the service. A bagpiper played “Going Home” and Gov. Maura Healey ordered flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff.
Delgado-Garcia's funeral got here amid calls for accountability that spread beyond his family. The Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston and Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston have each issued public statements calling for transparency within the investigation into Delgado-Garcia's death.
The state must “immediately suspend anyone who may be involved in and responsible for the fatal boxing match to ensure the safety and well-being of the remaining Massachusetts State Police Academy cadets,” and in addition make further improvements in safety and accountability, it said Lawyers for Civil Rights said in its statement.
Massachusetts State Police and the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment Saturday.
Delgado-Garcia, of Worcester, died after boxing ring practice took place on the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree, just over 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of Boston. Massachusetts state police said they’ve suspended full-contact boxing training for recruits following Delgado-Garcia's death.
Delgado-Garcia was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and moved to Worcester at a young age, in response to an obituary on the Mercadante Funeral Home & Chapel website in Worcester. He earned a bachelor's degree from Westfield State University in Massachusetts before starting his profession as a victim advocate within the Worcester District Attorney's Office, the obituary said.
“Enrique was an exceptional young man who was dedicated to serving others. “He always dreamed of becoming a state trooper and being someone great who made a difference in the lives of people in his community,” the obituary said.
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