Head Trauma Cause of Death for Oklahoma City Police Recruit

The state medical examiner says an Oklahoma City police recruit who died during a training exercise suffered head trauma and blunt-force trauma.

Oklahoma City television station KOCO reports that the medical examiner says Kelley Chase’s manner of death is still pending. The 38-year-old police recruit died last week after hitting his head on a mat during a custody control and defense training exercise.

Oklahoma City Police Chief Bill Citty says a six-minute video shows Chase falling to the mat and hitting his head during the training. Citty says the recruit was able to get up to his knees before lying back down.

Citty says an internal investigation is under way.

Police recruits will now be required to wear helmets during self-defense training.