ACLU says feds should take over investigation of Enrique Delgado-Garcia's death
A week after the death of a state police recruit injured while training at the academy, the ACLU of Massachusetts is calling for a federal investigation.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia , 25, was badly injured last Thursday at the Massachusetts State Police Academy in New Braintree. He died the following day at a hospital.
State police have said the injuries happened during a defensive tactics training exercise.
Delgado-Garcia previously worked for the Worcester County District Attorney's Office as a victim witness advocate. Citing a conflict of interest, District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said he was seeking an outside agency to handle the investigation.
"Because of this close relationship, someone else will be handling this matter," Early said at a press conference Monday alongside members of Delgado-Garcia's family. "My concern is that we can't investigate, and I want it done by someone who doesn't have a stake in its outcome."
Early said he had been in contact with "four different entities in the state," which he did not name, about taking over the investigation.
"Decisions have not all been made by the 4 entities at this time," a spokesperson for the district attorney's office said in a statement Friday.
Early previously said that until another agency takes over the investigation, state police assigned to his office would continue to investigate.
"Enrique Delgado-Garcia died last Friday," said Jessie Rossman, legal director for the ACLU of Massachusetts. "His family, his friends and the public deserve independent, thorough and timely investigation, and yet, seven days later, no state-led law enforcement actor has stepped up to say that they can lead an independent investigation."
Rossman says the ACLU is calling on federal authorities to step in and immediately initiate an investigation into Delgado-Garcia's death.
"In just the past year, we've seen examples where the U.S. Attorney's Office conducted investigation into allegations that employees of the Massachusetts State Police had engaged in bribery conspiracy," Rossman said.
Another federal investigation looked into a conspiracy within the state police to steal overtime funds .
Delgado-Garcia's family has said he suffered a brain injury, broken teeth and neck fracture following a boxing exercise at the academy.
Following his death, a former classmate told the NBC10 Boston Investigators he had experienced bullying and racism at the academy.
"These allegations raise serious questions about whether there is a pattern and practice of discrimination or other systemic illegalities at the Massachusetts State Police Academy," Rossman said.
The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards says it is in the process of gathering information to determine if it would open an investigation into whether the academy is compliant with workplace safety standards.
Family members tell NBC10 Boston Delgado-Garcia's funeral is scheduled to take place next weekend in Worcester.
