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Massachusetts State Police suspends boxing training after recruit's death

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Massachusetts State Police suspends boxing training after recruit's death


The Massachusetts State Police has suspended full-contact boxing training activities among recruits after one died, a state police spokesperson said.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, of Worcester, was pronounced dead at a hospital Sept. 13, a day after he participated in an exercise in the boxing ring at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree, in Worcester County, about 80 miles west of Boston.

Tim McGuirk, a state police department spokesperson, said in a statement Monday that the full-contact boxing training activities between trainees has been suspended until further notice.

On the day of the exercise, Col. John Mawn Jr., the interim head of the state police, requested a full investigation by the State Police Detective Unit assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office, 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.

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“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 alignment with law enforcement objectives, medical and health considerations, and alternative approaches. It is soliciting feedback from recruits and instructors and information from peer organizations and subject matter experts, McGuirk said.

A cause or manner of death has not been released. Elaine Driscoll, a spokesperson for the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, said Monday that the physical examination had been completed; “however, additional testing continues to assist with the determination of cause and manner of death.”

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr., whose office Delgado-Garcia had worked in as a witness victim advocate for about a year and a half before he left to fulfill his lifelong dream of joining the state police, described his death as a heartbreaking and tragic loss at a news conference last week, where he was joined by members of Delgado-Garcia’s family and former co-workers.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia.via NECN

Early said Delgado-Garcia was loved by everyone in his office. Because of their close relationship, Early has recused himself from investigating Delgado-Garcia’s death.

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“There’s no way this office can handle this,” he said. “Everyone loved Enrique.”

He added: “I’m looking for someone who can look at this with an independent view who doesn’t have a stake in its outcome.”

He said he has been in conversations with four possible entities to take over the case, but did not name them. In a statement Monday, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said she has appointed David Meier, an attorney, to lead the investigation. She said Meier had “deep experience in death investigations and will ensure independence and integrity in this matter.”

Early said state police detectives assigned to his office would continue to investigate Delgado-Garcia’s death and work with whomever takes over the investigation.

Asked what specifics he could provide about what happened to Delgado-Garcia, including whether he could address concerns that he had been beaten to death and that his teeth had been knocked out, Early said that what had occurred in the boxing ring was videotaped.

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Family members of Enrique Delgado-Garcia attend a news conference by District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.
Family members of Enrique Delgado-Garcia attend a news conference by District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr.Allan Jung / Worcester Telegram & Gazette / USA Today Network

He added that it was “too early in the investigation” for him to speculate whether anything criminal had led to Delgado-Garcia’s death.

McGuirk said the state police is fully cooperating with investigatory authorities and urges the district attorney’s office to name an independent investigator as soon as possible.

Specifics of the boxing training exercise Delgado-Garcia participated in have not been disclosed.

The Massachusetts State Police has come under scrutiny over its investigations into other cases involving state troopers, including that of Karen Read, who was accused of intentionally backing her vehicle into her boyfriend, a Boston police officer. A judge declared a mistrial in her case in July.

Early said that he had begged Delgado-Garcia to stay in his office before he left to pursue a career as a state trooper and that they had discussed his returning to the district attorney’s office to be a detective after he became a state police trooper.

In the final hours of his life, Delgado-Garcia was sworn in as a trooper in the presence of his classmates, members of the department and his loved ones, McGuirk said.

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Reached by phone Monday, a relative of Delgado-Garcia’s said the family was waiting to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

Jessie Rossman, legal director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, has called for a federal investigation.

Delgado-Garcia was born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, and came to Worcester as a young boy, according to his obituary. He earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Westfield State University in 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.”

His funeral is scheduled for Saturday.

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Heavy police presence due to ‘ongoing incident’ in Tewksbury

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Heavy police presence due to ‘ongoing incident’ in Tewksbury


There is a heavy police presence in a section of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, on Wednesday afternoon due to what authorities are describing only as an “ongoing incident.”

“There is currently a heavy police presence on Salem Road due to an ongoing incident,” Tewksbury police said in a social media post just before 1 p.m. “Motorists are advised to avoid the area and seek alternate routes if possible. Please allow emergency personnel the space they need to respond safely and efficiently”

No further details were released. Police said they will provide updates as more information becomes available.

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Wrong-way crash closes I-495 southbound in Chelmsford, 1 seriously injured – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Wrong-way crash closes I-495 southbound in Chelmsford, 1 seriously injured – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


CHELMSFORD, MASS. (WHDH) – A wrong-way driver crashed into another vehicle on I-495 in Chelmsford Tuesday night, shutting down the soundbound lanes in that area, according to Massachusetts State Police and The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).

State police said Troopers from the Concord Barracks responded to a two-car crash on I-495 at the Hunt Road overpass shortly before 10 p.m. They said preliminary information indicates the crash happened as a result of a wrong-way driver striking a vehicle traveling in the correct direction.

Chelmsford Fire and EMS responded to the scene, and the driver was taken to the hospital by MedFlight. State police said they suffered life-threatening injuries.

MassDOT said the highway southbound is currently closed at exit 88 due to the crash, and is expected to remain closed for several hours.

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Drivers are asked to seek alternate routes at this time.

This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.

(Copyright (c) 2026 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Two stabbed at Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods plant in Haverhill

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Two stabbed at Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods plant in Haverhill


Two people were seriously injured in a stabbing at the Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods manufacturing facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning.

Haverhill police said they responded to the Cedar’s plan on Foundation Avenue around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a disturbance involving a weapon. When they arrived, they found two people suffering from apparent stab wounds.

Both people were provided with medical assistance on scene and taken to area hospitals with what police described as serious injuries. Their names have not been released, and no update on their conditions was immediately available.

Preliminary investigation determined that the two people knew each other, and police said there is no ongoing threat to the public. They said their investigation into the incident remains active.

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