I-Team uncovers 1988 case where recruit died after excessive police training in Massachusetts
AGAWAM - In the wake of Enrique Delgado-Garcia's death following a boxing training exercise with the Massachusetts State Police, the I-Team uncovered a similar case decades ago where a recruit died after excessive police training.
"He's not coming back"
For almost 40 years, Timothy Shepard's sisters held on the newspaper clippings about his death and his family's demand for justice. His sister Terry Shepard said it was justice they never got, telling the I-Team, "He's not coming back."
Tim Shepard was just 25 years old in 1988. He grew up in a big close-knit family. Newly married, he had a baby on the way and wanted to be a cop. By all accounts a good guy, his sister Sarah said he volunteered at the boy's club, worked with kids and is still remembered by folks in the community as a wonderful coach and mentor.
At the time, he was working as a civilian for the Pittsfield Police. Shepard was accepted into the Agawam Police Academy where they trained officers for regional departments. It was run by the Massachusetts State Police. Sarah Shepard said Tim was in top physical shape. He had prepared for nearly a year, running and watching his weight.
Sept. 19 was Tim Shepard's first day of training. Sarah Shepard said she remembers how hot and humid it was that day. Terry Shepard, who was older, remembers the rest of the details. "It was right around 4 o'clock and they were running outside on the track in heavy gray sweat clothes. And at some point, my brother ran off to the side and sat down. People went over to assist him and they were directed not to because, you know, he wasn't stronger. So at that point, he was in the sun, in the heat, no assistance. And from there, he went into convulsions and his organs shut down."
Fell into coma
Suffering from severe dehydration, Tim Shepard was taken by ambulance to Baystate Hospital, where he fell into a coma. Terry Shepard said he was transferred to Pittsburgh, where he got a liver transplant, but never fully regained consciousness. He died less than six weeks later. More than a dozen other classmates also became ill and needed medical treatment.
"He was overworked and deprived of water. He was abused and deprived of water," said Sarah Shepard.
Days after Shepard's death, an attorney general's investigation found a massive failure of the system that led to abusive training. Sarah Shepard said the training was ineffective and inhumane, and that the recruits were under the supervision and guidance of people they were supposed to trust. Terry Shepard said not much has changed. "It was all screaming to build you up so they could tear you down and start anew with that mentality of training. It's still in place." Both sisters said the cycle needs to be broken.
Now decades later, Delgado-Garcia's death opened old wounds for the family. The State Police trainee died after a boxing training exercise.
"This poor family should not be going through what they're going through. Another 25-year-old young man should not have died. I really do hope thT family finds out what happened," said Sarah Shepard.
An independent investigator is looking into Delgado-Garcia's death. In the Shepard case, a judge held an inquest into his death and recommended that three state troopers be charged with involuntary manslaughter. The attorney general refused to charge them.