Massachusetts State Police Cadet Enrique Delgado Garcia was sworn in as a police officer shortly before his death, a department spokesman said, part of new information shared about Delgado’s death on Saturday.
Police have not shared more about the training exercise in which they say Delgado was seriously injured. 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 Delgado’s body was to be moved from UMass Memorial Medical Center to the Boston headquarters of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
Enrique Delgado Garcia, 25 years old, was Puerto Rican with a Dominican mother, and was only 3 weeks away from graduating from the state police academy.
Before his death, Delgado “was surrounded by family, loved ones and classmates during the bilingual ceremony, which culminated with the pinning of his police badge,” the department’s acting director of media relations, Tim McGuirk, said in the email.
The oath of office was administered by two civilian employees of the Massachusetts State Police who serve as commissioners. according to state law which allows the governor to appoint such officers, McGuirk said.
Delgado was part of the 90th Recruit Training Troop, which graduated on Oct. 9.
Earlier Saturday, Gov. Maura Healey shared a statement on Delgado’s death, calling it “devastating.”
“I am heartbroken by the loss of Massachusetts State Police Cadet Enrique Delgado-Garca, 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 hold Enrique’s family and his State Police community in our hearts.”
Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll echoed the governor’s sentiments in comments to NBC10 Boston.
“It’s a tragic loss. We all feel for his family, for Enrique, for his fellow officers at the academy, and we express our deepest sympathy. He was a young man who had a career ahead of him and his goal was to protect the people of Massachusetts. So we are incredibly saddened by this. It’s just tragic.”
“We will continue to work to understand exactly what happened, but I am confident there will be a full investigation,” she added.
Authorities have not given a timetable for when the investigation might yield new information about what police have characterized as an incident during defensive tactics training. Medical examiners will report the cause and manner of Delgado’s death.
His family has said Deglado suffered a broken neck, missing teeth and severe brain damage. They have demanded explanations for what happened inside the academy, as well as accountability.
“That didn’t come from boxing, especially from a two-minute round,” said his cousin Omel Canario Garcia.
Outgoing Massachusetts State Police leader Col. John Mawn Jr. issued this statement Friday night:
The Massachusetts State Police mourns the tragic loss of Trainee Enrique Delgado-Garcia and offers our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. They have our full support and care and remain full members of our State Police Family.
Enrique was an outstanding young man who dedicated himself to the service of others as a member of the 90th Recruit Training Troop and in his previous role as a victim witness advocate with the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. In his brief time with the State Police, Enrique demonstrated an extraordinary ability to learn and a desire to provide excellent law enforcement 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 of the qualities that would have made him an exceptional police officer: kindness and compassion, dedication, commitment, a willingness to work hard to improve, and a strong desire to help others.
As a Department, we will continue to, first and foremost, support Enrique’s family and honour his memory. We will also support our members, trainees and their families as they deal with this painful loss.
