WORCESTER, Mass. — Demonstrators numbering in the dozens gathered on Wednesday outside a graduation event for cadets of the Massachusetts State Police, calling for clarity and accountability surrounding the circumstances that led to the death of one of the recruits during a training exercise.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who was 25 years old, passed away in a hospital on September 13, the day following a defensive tactics exercise in a boxing ring, where he experienced a “medical crisis” and became unresponsive, according to officials. In response to the incident, the state attorney general appointed an attorney to conduct an external investigation into Delgado-Garcia’s death, whose funeral service was held the preceding Saturday.
Delgado-Garcia’s mother and supporters have voiced their desire for answers from the ongoing investigation, with concerns raised regarding the potential severity of the training exercise involved. Although she was not present at the protest, Delgado-Garcia’s friends and family shared similar sentiments.
“We seek justice, we want answers,” remarked Jennifer Verges, one of the protestors holding a banner featuring Delgado-Garcia’s image. “Why isn’t he here celebrating graduation with his peers? We are here mourning his loss.”
Luis Canario, a cousin of Delgado-Garcia’s, carried a poster commemorating him and wore a T-shirt that featured his likeness, expressing disbelief that Delgado-Garcia could have died from an incident connected to boxing training. He, along with others, felt that the graduation ceremony should have been postponed out of respect.
“It feels unjust that he isn’t allowed to graduate with everyone else,” he expressed. “It’s unfair to proceed with the graduation while an investigation is underway, and one of their own, someone they call a brother, is absent.”
The protest occurred amidst growing demands for accountability, which have extended beyond Delgado-Garcia’s immediate family. Both the Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston and Lawyers for Civil Rights in Boston have publicly emphasized the need for transparency concerning the inquiry into Delgado-Garcia’s passing.
The legal group has urged the state to “immediately suspend anyone potentially involved and responsible for the fatal boxing match to safeguard the remaining cadets at the Massachusetts State Police Academy” along with implementing additional safety and accountability measures, according to their official statement.
Delgado-Garcia’s untimely death cast a shadow over what should have been a celebratory occasion for the 185 new troopers at a Worcester auditorium. During the ceremony, a moment of silence was observed in his memory, and the recruits donned badges draped in mourning.
Governor Maura Healey, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, and the newly appointed Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, Col. Geoffrey Noble, all mentioned Delgado-Garcia in their speeches to the graduates, extending their condolences to his family while recognizing the emotional toll his death has taken on his fellow trainees.
“Today’s celebration carries significant weight; you have lost a recruit,” Healey addressed the gathering.
“Trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia answered the call to serve. He was committed not only to enforcing the law but also to uplifting his community,” she added. “To Enrique’s family, friends, and the Worcester community here and beyond, we grieve with you and keep you in our prayers.”
Delgado-Garcia, originally from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, relocated to Worcester at a young age. His obituary noted that he graduated from Westfield State University before beginning as a victim’s advocate within the Worcester district attorney’s office.
“He was a genuinely good person,” Canario reflected. “He loved life but was equally passionate about helping others. He was always striving to improve himself. He was chasing his dreams, and then this tragedy struck.”