Police academies across America are using combat training drills that have resulted in at least a dozen deaths and hundreds of injuries since 2005, with critics calling them poorly disguised assaults that prioritize toughness over effective law enforcement training.
A Rite of Passage Turned Dangerous
Heather Sterling’s experience at the Texas Game Warden Training Center represents a disturbing national pattern. The four-on-one drill she endured in December 2024 left her with a concussion and watching as classmates suffered fractures, torn ligaments, and other serious injuries. Sterling, a former defensive tactics instructor herself, resigned rather than continue participating in what she called “a poorly disguised assault.”
These drills, frequently known as RedMan training for the protective gear worn by participants, are intended to teach recruits how to handle violent confrontations. Yet an investigation has revealed they’ve become breeding grounds for injuries and abuse, with at least twelve deaths linked to similar exercises since 2005. The problem stems from a critical lack of national standards governing police training, leaving academies with wide discretion to design potentially dangerous scenarios.
The Texas Incident: A Case Study in Systematic Failure
Sterling’s drill followed a particularly concerning pattern. Recruits were told they couldn’t defend themselves against instructors acting as violent assailants—they could only punch and kick a shield while being subjected to repeated blows to the head and body. Video evidence shows Sterling being pushed from behind, punched in the head at least seven times, and ultimately having her wrestling helmet knocked off.
The aftermath was staggering: thirteen of thirty-seven cadets reported injuries ranging from concussions to fractures requiring surgery. Two recruits needed surgical intervention, yet the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement investigation found no wrongdoing, describing the drill as “controlled and organized.” This defense stands in stark contrast to the physical evidence and expert opinion.
David Jude, a retired Kentucky State Police academy commander who reviewed the case, noted the fundamental flaw: “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.”
National Pattern of Tragedy and Injury
The problems extend far beyond Texas. Recent cases highlight the deadly consequences of these training practices:
- Jon-Marques Psalms, 30, died days after a San Francisco Police Academy training fight in August 2025 from complications of muscle and organ damage
- William Bailey, 24, drowned during a Kentucky game warden pool exercise in November 2024 after cardiac issues during physical exertion
- A Denver police recruit had both legs amputated after what his attorney called a “barbaric hazing ritual” in 2023
- An Indiana recruit died of exertion after being pummeled by a larger instructor
These incidents represent just the tip of the iceberg. Hundreds of injuries have been documented nationwide, with Black and female recruits disproportionately affected. Legal claims have alleged that instructors sometimes target these groups with excessive force to drive them from the profession.
The Manufacturer’s Stance and Liability Concerns
Macho Products Inc., which sells RedMan Training Gear nationwide, includes stark warnings in its warranty documentation. The company explicitly states that such training “always presents risks of accidental injury, disability, and death that must be assumed by all participants.” They emphasize that risks can only be minimized through “carefully planned scenarios conducted at appropriate levels of force.”
This disclaimer highlights the inherent danger of the equipment when used improperly. Yet the company’s stance essentially places responsibility squarely on training academies rather than acknowledging any responsibility for how their products are implemented in potentially abusive scenarios.
Expert Calls for Reform
Brian Baxter, who oversaw training at the Texas Department of Public Safety and now leads a force studies group, acknowledges that these drills “can quickly devolve into abusive rites of passage” without proper oversight. He identifies the core problem: some instructors prioritize winning over effective teaching.
“The idea that we’re just punching each other to see who’s toughest… that’s when it becomes inappropriate,” Baxter states. His former agency completely overhauled its practices after a trooper died from head blows during training in 2005—a clear indication that reform is possible when tragedies force accountability.
The essential question experts raise is whether these drills actually prepare officers for real-world policing. Sterling, who worked as a game warden in Wyoming for five years, notes she never faced a situation resembling the four-on-one ambush scenario. Real policing, she argues, involves communication, de-escalation, and appropriate force—not uncontrolled brawls.
The Human Cost Beyond Physical Injury
The impact extends beyond broken bones and concussions. Promising officers like Sterling are leaving law enforcement entirely rather than participate in what they see as abusive practices. One of Sterling’s classmates resigned before the drill, calling it inappropriate and part of a culture of hazing.
Sterling draws a disturbing comparison: “New members are physically beaten down by the gang membership, which now considers you as its property.” This language reflects the psychological damage inflicted by training practices that prioritize toughness over safety and professionalism.
The pattern reveals a fundamental tension in police training culture between preparing officers for violence and subjecting them to potentially harmful rituals that serve little practical purpose. As departments nationwide struggle with recruitment and retention, these training practices may be driving away exactly the kind of thoughtful, professional candidates that modern policing needs.
Path Forward: Accountability and Standardization
The solution lies in developing national standards for police training exercises, implementing independent oversight, and ensuring that drills have clear learning objectives rather than serving as initiation rituals. Departments that have reformed their practices after tragedies demonstrate that change is possible when there’s willingness to prioritize safety over tradition.
As Sterling warns, without meaningful reform, “I’m worried that someone is going to get killed.” Her experience—and the dozen deaths already documented—suggest that warning may already be too late for some.
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