The program did recently pay the wife and kids of Ronald Donat, whose 2021 death in training in Georgia was the subject of an AP investigation in February. Read about that and other takeaways - apnews.com/article/publ...

8 -- Some are taking action to prevent future deaths. Several departments who have had deaths now screen for sickle cell trait. And Arkansas passed a law requiring instructors to get more training on health risks and medical intervention.

7 -- Typically there’s little or no investigation, in rare cases not even an autopsy. Departments characterize the deaths as one-off tragedies, rather than the potential result of more systemic issues.

6 -- Police recruits are treated differently than sworn officers who die in the line of duty. No organization tracks their deaths, and their relatives face uphill battles seeking death benefits and recognition on law enforcement memorials.

5 -- Sickle cell trait explains part of the racial disparity. Autopsies show the condition contributed to several deaths of Black recruits. Unlike the NCAA and military, police departments typically do not screen for it.

4 -- Nearly 60% of the recruits who died are Black, even though Black officers make up only about 12% of local police forces apnews.com/article/poli...

3 -- The number of deaths is growing at a time when departments are pushing to fill officer vacancies, tapping an older and more diverse pool. One expert warned about the deaths in 2023. But at least five more were recorded in 2024, including NYPD recruit Edgar Ordonez, who died of heat stroke

2 -- Most of the deaths came after intense exertion during training drills, sometimes during high temperatures. Others involved grueling fight-for-your-life simulations, boxing or high-stakes timed runs www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQTY...

1 – We documented the deaths of at least 29 recruits participating in basic law enforcement training over the last decade apnews.com/article/poli...