Massachusetts Police Recruit Dies After 'Medical Crisis' During Training Exercise

NEW BRAINTREE, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts State Police recruit died a day after he became unresponsive and suffered a “medical crisis” during a defensive tactics training exercise, authorities said.

Enrique Delgado-Garcia, 25, died at a hospital on Friday, a day after the exercise at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree, department spokesperson Tim McGuirk said in a statement Friday night. New Braintree is about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northeast of Boston.

McGuirk said the academy’s on-site medical team responded immediately after Delgado-Garcia became unresponsive. They determined that he required urgent medical care and took him to the hospital, where he died.

Delgado-Garcia’s mother told reporters with NBC10 Boston and Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra that he was hit and injured.

“I don’t understand why it was so rough if it was just training,” Sandra Garcia said in Spanish. “I want them to explain it to me, that the state explains to me what happened with my son. … Why did he hit him so hard that it killed him, that it destroyed his brain and broke all of my son’s teeth and he had a neck fracture too, my son.”

Such police training can cover a range of physical encounters to defend against tackles, punches and other attacks. McGuirk did not specify the type of exercise Delgado-Garcia took part in.

McGuirk told The Associated Press in an email that Delgado-Garcia was a Worcester resident and had entered the training program in April. The class will graduate Oct. 9.

“The Massachusetts State Police administered the oath of office in Enrique Delgado-Garcia’s final hours of life. He was surrounded by family, loved ones, and classmates during the bi-lingual ceremony, which culminated in him being pinned