A brutal training drill, considered a rite of passage for police recruits across the United States, has been linked to a trail of serious injuries and deaths, according to an investigation by The Associated Press.
A Texas Drill Leaves a Third of Cadets Injured
Heather Sterling, a former senior game warden and defensive tactics instructor from Wyoming, stepped into a training ring at the Texas Game Warden Training Centre in December 2024. She faced a four-on-one ambush by instructors acting as violent assailants. Video shows she was pushed from behind, punched in the head, and struck at least seven times in the head within two minutes, with the final blow knocking off her protective helmet.
Sterling completed the drill but suffered a concussion. Records show that a dozen of her 37 classmates – a full third of the group – were also injured that day. They were repeatedly punched, tackled on a gym floor, and thrown against padded walls.
While physically punishing, their experience was far from unique. Since 2005, similar drills at law enforcement academies nationwide have been connected to at least a dozen deaths and hundreds of injuries, some resulting in permanent disability, the AP investigation found.
Nationwide Pattern of High-Risk Training
Frequently called RedMan training after the brand of protective gear, these exercises are designed to teach recruits how to defend themselves against combative suspects. They are among the most challenging tests at police academies. Experts argue that when properly supervised, they impart critical skills for high-stress situations.
However, critics contend the drills can devolve into physical and mental abuse, driving promising officers out of the profession. A significant issue is the lack of national standards governing police training, giving academies wide latitude in how they run such exercises.
In Sterling's case, an expert review highlighted a particularly concerning design flaw: recruits were instructed not to use force to defend themselves against the onslaught. "To teach cadets how and when to defend themselves, only to put them in a doomsday scenario with the instruction that they’re not allowed to fight back, does not match any training curriculum I’ve seen," said David Jude, a retired Kentucky State Police academy commander.
An investigation by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement found no wrongdoing, stating the drill was conducted in a "controlled and organised manner." The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department declined to comment, citing potential litigation.
A Trail of Tragedy Across the Country
The AP investigation documented a series of tragic incidents linked to these high-intensity drills:
- In August 2025, 30-year-old Jon-Marques Psalms died two days after a training exercise at the San Francisco Police Academy, suffering a head injury while fighting an instructor.
- In November 2024, 24-year-old William Bailey, a Kentucky game warden recruit, died after a training fight in a pool to the point of collapse. His death was ruled an accidental drowning.
- A year earlier, a Denver police recruit had both legs amputated after a training fight his attorney called a "barbaric hazing ritual."
- An Indiana recruit died of exertion after being pummeled by a larger instructor, and a classmate was disabled after fighting the same man.
Investigations into other academies, like one in Austin, Texas, found physical and psychological abuse from such exercises resulted in a "significant number" of injuries, from dehydration to broken bones, and prompted reforms.
Calls for Reform and a Culture Shift
Amid the deaths and criticism, experts are urging academy directors to retire or modify problematic drills. Brian Baxter, who oversaw training at the Texas Department of Public Safety, warned the drills "can quickly devolve into abusive rites of passage" without proper oversight. He stressed that training must solve a problem directly related to public service, not merely test toughness.
Sterling, who resigned after the Texas drill and has returned to law enforcement in Wyoming, compared the experience to a gang initiation ritual. She is speaking out in hopes of sparking nationwide change in police training practices. "I’m worried that someone is going to get killed," she said. "This is a poorly disguised assault."
The manufacturer of RedMan gear, Macho Products Inc., states in its warranty that such training always presents risks of accidental injury, disability, and death, which must be assumed by participants. The company did not respond to AP's request for comment on the recent deaths and injuries.
