02/12/2026
This week, four State Police academy instructors were indicted on manslaughter charges in connection with the death of 25-year-old recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia.
According to prosecutors, Delgado-Garcia showed concussion-like symptoms after a boxing sparring session during training in September 2024. Despite this, he was reportedly allowed to participate in another bout the following day, where he sustained additional blows to the head, collapsed, and later died from massive brain bleeding , just weeks before graduation. He was sworn in as a trooper on his deathbed.
National amateur boxing guidelines are clear: if a boxer is concussed or receives a severe head blow, they should be evaluated by a physician and not return to the ring for at least 30 days and often longer.
This tragedy raises serious questions about training practices, concussion protocols, and the broader culture of stress-based training. Safety must come first in athletics, in law enforcement training, and everywhere else.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) can happen in seconds. The consequences can last a lifetime or, as in this case, end a life.
No training goal is worth a preventable brain injury. Clear concussion protocols, medical oversight, and a culture that prioritizes health over toughness are essential.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia’s death should lead to meaningful change — because protecting the brain means protecting lives. https://ow.ly/1umM50YemNZ
