By Luis Fieldman
masslive.com
BOSTON — The head of the Massachusetts State Police issued a statement on Monday afternoon shortly after criminal indictments were announced for four members of the police academy after a lengthy independent investigation into the death of Trooper Enrique Delgado Garcia nearly 17 months ago.
“Today is a difficult and somber day for the Massachusetts State Police as we continue to understand the events that led to the tragic death of Trooper Enrique Delgado Garcia,” Colonel Geoffrey Noble said. “As a law enforcement agency, we respect the legal process and have fully cooperated with the independent investigation while remaining focused on our mission and continuing the important work of keeping Massachusetts communities safe.”
Massachusetts State Police immediately suspended boxing as part of the academy’s defensive tactics curriculum following Delgado-Garcia’s death. The suspension continued for the remainder of the 90th Recruit Training Troop, which Delgado-Garcia participated in, and the next two recruit classes.
Officials identified an academy supervisor and three full-time instructors who were indicted in Worcester Superior Court: Sgt. Jennifer Penton, Trooper Edwin Rodriguez, Trooper David Montanez and Trooper Casey LaMonte. All were charged with involuntary manslaughter and causing serious bodily injury to a person participating in a training involving physical exercise.
Penton faces an additional charge of perjury.
Attorney General Andrea Campbell provided an update on Monday, alongside independent investigator David Meier, as they revealed that the investigations uncovered “wanton, reckless conduct” by academy staff who oversaw physical exercises at the academy in New Braintree.
Delgado-Garcia, 25, was sworn in as a Massachusetts State Police trooper hours before his death on Sept. 13.
“He should be alive today,” Campbell said during a press conference on Monday afternoon. “We can both honor the men and women who serve while also still ensuring accountability within a system, especially when somebody dies.”
Noble said in a statement Monday that after Delgado-Garcia’s death, the state police has taken several steps to strengthen training at the academy, including commissioning an independent review by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
“As the IACP review nears completion, our work continues with focus and resolve, guided by Enrique’s memory, and committed to the highest standards of professionalism, leadership, and training. We will remain engaged with the legal process and will reserve further comment at this time to protect its integrity,” Noble said.
In May, Noble announced several changes at the academy, including new academy leadership and commandant, completing an hour-by-hour curriculum review, and dividing the class into two, smaller cohorts.
Meier, the independent investigator, said that a chief justice of the Superior Court allowed the impanelment of a statewide grand jury that enabled his investigative team to compel witness testimony under oath and subpoena documents.
The grand jury heard sworn testimony from more than 150 witnesses, the vast majority of whom were state police officers. The grand jury also reviewed close to 350 physical exhibits that related to policies, procedures and activities at the State Police training academy.
“Members of the State Police Training Academy committed a series of wanton and reckless acts in connection with various defense tactics and physical confrontation training exercises conducted at the academy,” Meier said.
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