Cadet complained of fatigue during drills but was denied water. Then everything went wrong
A police cadet died during training, but a federal court ruled his employer owed him no constitutional duty to keep him safe.
A federal appeals court handed down a decision that draws a sharp line between what employers must do under workplace safety laws and what the Constitution requires them to do, even when training turns fatal.
The ruling, issued February 4 by the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, dismissed all claims in a lawsuit brought by the widow of Marquis Kennedy, a police cadet who died after collapsing during a self-defense training exercise at the Arlington Police Academy in September 2022.
Kennedy was fifteen minutes into a mandatory training program called Gracie Survival Tactics when things went wrong. The exercise required him to endure four consecutive rounds of physical combat scenarios against trained officers, including choke holds, submission holds, and punches. According to court filings, Kennedy complained repeatedly that he felt lightheaded, thirsty, and tired, but was denied water and breaks because stopping meant failing the entire program.
During the fourth round, instructors finally halted the exercise and asked Kennedy if he needed an ambulance. He said yes. Two colleagues carried him to a break room and gave him water. Within minutes, he stopped breathing, lost consciousness, and fell from his chair. Officers began CPR and called...
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