Police Academy Training – Ronald Donat’s lifelong dream of becoming a police officer was slipping away. The 41-year-old recruit struggled to stand after enduring a brutal series of pushups, sprints, and pull-ups during what his academy classmates called “Hell Day.”
“You are dead!” a sergeant yelled at him, ordering Donat to sit on the concrete at a suburban Atlanta police academy.
Despite exhaustion, Donat refused to give up. He forced himself off the ground and attempted to continue the bear crawl exercise. Moments later, his body went limp.
One hundred minutes after training began that October 2021 morning, Donat was pronounced dead.
An Associated Press (AP) investigation uncovered that Donat is one of at least 29 law enforcement recruits who have died during basic training in the past decade—most from preventable causes like heat stroke, exertion, and dehydration.
A Deadly Pattern
The AP reviewed data from law enforcement deaths across the country, workplace safety records, and news reports. The findings were shocking:
- Many deaths occurred on the first day of training.
- Others happened weeks into training, often during boxing drills, use-of-force exercises, or grueling timed runs in extreme heat.
- Nearly 60% of those who died were Black recruits, a significant disparity considering Black officers make up only 12% of local police forces.
- Several recruits had sickle cell trait, a genetic condition that can lead to serious injury or death under extreme exertion.
“There should never be one death in training, let alone 29,” said David Jude, a retired Kentucky State Police academy commander.
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Excessive Training and Preventable Deaths
The AP found multiple cases where instructors pushed struggling recruits beyond their limits:
- In Texas, a recruit collapsed minutes after being denied water by instructors, who told him, “You can’t get water in a fight.”
- In Arkansas, a cadet died after being forced to run in extreme heat while wearing long pants.
- In North Carolina, a recruit’s body temperature reached 106°F before he died—after an hour-long obstacle course with no water breaks.
Experts warn that police academies must recognize early signs of distress and implement basic safety measures.
“Deaths like these are completely preventable,” wrote Dr. Randy Eichner, a leading researcher on exertion-related fatalities in a 2023 medical journal.
Yet, fatalities have continued. At least five recruits died in 2024 alone, including:
- A New York City recruit who suffered heat stroke.
- A Kentucky cadet who collapsed during water-based survival training.
- A Massachusetts recruit who died during defensive tactics training.
A Broken System in Need of Reform
Many police departments fail to screen recruits for sickle cell trait, despite its known risks.
- Up to 3 million Black Americans carry sickle cell trait.
- Unlike sickle cell disease, the trait doesn’t normally impact daily life—but under extreme exertion, it can cause collapse, organ failure, and death.
- The NCAA and U.S. military now screen athletes and recruits for the condition.
- Since implementing testing, NCAA football deaths have plummeted—yet most police academies still don’t test for it.
After Marcus Zeigler, a 36-year-old Ohio recruit, collapsed and died during training in 2023, Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey discovered sickle cell trait was a factor.
“We immediately started screening recruits for sickle cell,” she said.
The cost? Only $75 per test.
Ronald Donat’s Final Moments
When Donat joined the Gwinnett County Police Academy in Georgia, he believed he had finally found his place in law enforcement.
- A physician cleared him for training.
- He passed the state’s physical fitness test.
- He was issued badge 2423.
- He told a fellow recruit: “Never give up.”
But on Day One, he was thrown into the academy’s brutal physical initiation:
- Pushups.
- Flutter kicks.
- Sprints.
- Bear crawls.
- More pushups.
Recruits say the drills were more like hazing than training.
At one point, Donat collapsed and stopped breathing.
There was no ambulance on site, despite a known history of first-day medical emergencies. Paramedics took 10 minutes to arrive.
No Accountability, No Justice
Despite Donat’s sudden death, Gwinnett County found no wrongdoing and issued no disciplinary actions.
- The department still does not screen for sickle cell trait.
- The county denied his family death benefits because he had not been sworn in as an officer.
- His name does not appear on federal or state memorials for fallen officers.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) did not investigate his death—because police trainees aren’t covered under OSHA protections in most states.
Donat’s widow, Sharline Volcy, is still fighting for justice.
“It’s heartbreaking,” she said. “My husband’s dream turned into a nightmare for our family.”
A Call for Change
Some police leaders are finally taking action.
- Arkansas passed a law requiring instructors to be trained on heat exhaustion, dehydration, and cardiac arrest symptoms.
- Gwinnett County now requires an ambulance on-site for the first day of training.
But for Donat and others, these changes came too late.
“We’re talking about life or death,” said Sheriff McGuffey. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure no more families suffer like this.”
The question remains: Will police departments nationwide follow suit before another life is lost?
