‘Very Callous’: A Black San Francisco Police Cadet Collapsed During Training and Died. What the Department Did Next Has His Family Suspecting Foul Play

The family of a 30-year-old Black man who died during an intense training exercise at the San Francisco Police Academy in August is demanding a better explanation for how he died and millions in compensation from the police department.

Jon-Marques Psalms was a fit and healthy cadet participating in his 14th week of training on Aug. 20 when he suffered a head injury, and a gauze bandage was placed on his head, according to a government claim filed on behalf of his estate and his parents, Christina and Marcus Psalms, by attorney Brad Gage this week.

Later that day, Psalms fainted during hand-to-hand combat drills in which a training officer wore padded “RedMan” protective gear and acted as an attacker. Psalms was rushed to a nearby hospital via ambulance and spent two days in intensive car