BOSTON – Massachussette Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell and Attorney David Meier announced that a Worcester County Grand Jury returned indictments against four Massachusetts State Police officials in connection with the death of Trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia
Campbell appointed Meier to lead the independent investigation on Sept. 23, 2024, ten days after Trooper Delgado-Garcia’s death. Worcester County District Attorney Joe Early. Jr. recused his office from the investigation, as Delgado-Garcia previously worked there as a victim witness advocate.
The announcement also said that the independent investigation is over.
Meier said that during the morning of September 12, 2024, Delgado-Garcia sustained “multiple blunt force injuries to the head and massive brain bleeding as the result of the failure of Academy staff to intervene and bring a stop to a competitive boxing match between Mr. Delgado-Garcia and a fellow trainee.” He also said that “members of the State Police Training Academy committed a series of wanton acts in connection with various ‘Defensive Tactics’ and ‘Physical Confrontation’ training exercises conducted at the Academy” in the days leading up to his death.
According to Meier, on Sept. 11, 2024, Delgado-Garcia suffered from “concussion-like symptoms as the result of unauthorized, unapproved, and unsupervised boxing-related sparring exercises that occurred during Academy training.”
The supervisor and three full-time instructors of the academy’s Defensive Tactics Unit had ongoing interactions with Delgado-Garcia on Sept. 11, when he suffered concussion-like symptoms, and on Sept. 12, when he was knocked unconscious and transported to a hospital.
Meier said that these four individuals “had direct management and direct control over the physical training exercises themselves.” He added that factually and legally:
- Each of these individuals owed a duty of care to Enrique Delgado Garcia and his fellow trainees;
- Each of them interacted with Mr. Delgado Garcia and his fellow trainees on a daily basis; and
- Each of them committed a series of wanton and reckless acts and omissions that resulted in Enrique Delgado Garcia’s death.
Meier did not speak about any of the facts of the case or evidence that substantiates the indictements. He also made no comments on his apparent decision to decline to pursue charges against the individual in the ring at the time Delgado-Garcia was knocked unconscious on Sept. 12, 2024.
The four individuals facing indictments “have not been and will not be arrested,” according to Meier. They will receive a summons for arraignment.
Those indicted are:
Sergeant Jennifer Penton
- Involuntary Manslaughter (G. L. c. 265, § 13)
- Causing Serious Bodily Injury to a Person Participating in a Training Program Involving Physical Exercise (G. L. c. 265, § 40)
- Perjury (G. L. c. 268, § 1)
Trooper Edwin Rodriguez
- Involuntary Manslaughter (G. L. c. 265, § 13)
- Causing Serious Bodily Injury to a Person Participating in a Training Program Involving Physical Exercise (G. L. c. 265, § 40)
Trooper David Montanez
- Involuntary Manslaughter (G. L. c. 265, § 13)
- Causing Serious Bodily Injury to a Person Participating in a Training Program Involving Physical Exercise (G. L. c. 265, § 40)
Trooper Casey LaMonte
- Involuntary Manslaughter (G. L. c. 265, § 13)
- Causing Serious Bodily Injury to a Person Participating in a Training Program Involving Physical Exercise (G. L. c. 265, § 40)
