New details on Mass. State Police trainee dead after training exercise

Massachusetts State Police trainee Enrique Delgado Garcia was sworn in as a trooper shortly before his death, a department spokesman said, some of the new information shared on Delgado’s death Saturday.

Police have not shared more about the training exercise they’ve said that Delgado was seriously injured as a part of. Delgado’s family has questioned how the 25-year-old could have been fatally injured during a training exercise — they said he had severe brain trauma and other injuries.

A police spokesman confirmed in an email Saturday that the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office was “reviewing all aspects of this matter.” He also said that Delgado’s body was due to be taken from UMass Memorial Medical Center to the Westfield location of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.

Before his death, Delgado “was surrounded by family, loved ones, and classmates during the bi-lingual ceremony, which culminated in him being pinned with his Trooper Badge,” the department’s interim director of media relations, Tim McGuirk, said in the email.

The oath of office was administered by two civilian workers at Massachusetts State Police serving as commissioners under state law that lets the governor appoint such officers, McGuirk said.

The family of 25-year-old Enrique Delgado-Garcia, whose dream was to be a state trooper, wants answers about what happened.

Delgado was part of the 90th Recruit Training Troop, which is due to graduate on Oct. 9.

Earlier Saturday, Gov. Maura Healey shared a statement on Delgado’s death, which she called “devastating.”

“I’m heartbroken about the loss of Massachusetts State Police Trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia, who had committed himself to a career protecting the people of Massachusetts,” she said. “He was a beloved member of his academy class, known for his compassion and devotion to service. This is a devastating time for all who knew and loved him, and we are holding Enrique’s family and his State Police community in our hearts.”

Massachusetts Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll echoed the governor’s feelings in comments to NBC10 Boston.

“It’s a tragic loss. We are all really just feeling it for his family. For Enrique. For his academy classmates. And express so much sympathy. Young man. Had a career ahead of him protecting people of Massachusetts was his goal. And so we’re incredibly saddened by it. It’s just tragic.”

“We’ll continue to work to obviously understand exactly what transpired but I’m sure there’ll be a full investigation,” she added.

A man has died after being injured at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree, his family said.

Officials haven’t given a timeline on when the investigation might return new information on what police have characterized as an incident during defensive tactics training. Medical examiners will return Delgado’s cause and manner of death.

His family has said Deglado suffered a broken neck, missing teeth and severe brain damage. They have demanded explanations on what went on inside the academy, as well as accountability.

“That didn’t come from boxing, especially a round of two minutes,” cousin Omel Canario García said.

Col. John Mawn Jr., the outgoing leader of Massachusetts State Police, released this statement Friday night:

The Massachusetts State Police grieves the tragic loss of Trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. They have the full measure of our support and care, and they remain full members of our State Police Family.

Enrique was a fine young man who devoted himself to the service of others as a member of the 90th Recruit Training Troop and in his former role as a victim witness advocate in the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. In his short time with the State Police, Enrique demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to learn and a desire to deliver excellent police services to the people of Massachusetts. He made an immediate impression on his classmates and the Academy Staff. By all accounts, Enrique possessed and displayed all the qualities that would have made him an outstanding Trooper: kindness and compassion, dedication, commitment, willingness to work hard to improve himself, and a strong desire help others.

As a Department, we will, first and foremost, continue to support Enrique’s family, and honor his memory. We will additionally support our members, trainees, and their families as they cope with this heartbreaking loss.