Dale Mooney, 53, died during a Sept. 17 game between the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins at Gillette Stadium following an altercation in the stands. Now, Foxboro police have announced that they are seeking to arrest three men who were involved in the incident on assault charges, per The Boston Herald.
Mooney passed away after an apparent scuffle in the 308/309 section of the stadium. He collapsed at the stadium and was transported to nearby Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. After further investigation, police have decided to charge three unnamed suspects with assault and battery as well as disorderly conduct.
While the investigation is still open, Foxboro Police Chief Michael Grace did release a statement in which he said there is evidence that "supported submitting applications for criminal complaint to Wrentham District Court at this time."
According to a report from CBS News Boston, an autopsy determined that Mooney had a "medical issue" that could have been a contributing factor in his death. The autopsy also "did not suggest traumatic injury" played a role in Mooney's passing.
Shortly after the incident, a fan came forward and stated he witnessed Mooney and several fans get into a fight during the game.
"It was unsettling for sure," Joe Kilmartin, a fan who witnessed the confrontation, told WCVB Channel 5 Boston. "He basically just grabbed another fan and they started tussling around for a few minutes. At one point, another Dolphins fan walked over, punched him and the man just went out. It was pretty hard to watch."
Mooney's wife told 7NEWS that, to the best of her knowledge, Mooney did not have a heart condition, but his father did have heart issues. Mooney was a dedicated Patriots fan and had been a season ticket holder for 30 years.
As reported by the local station, a state police spokesperson said detectives were "investigating the facts and circumstances of the man's death, including the sequence of events prior to the medical incident."
Detectives are reviewing videos and talking to people seated close to Mooney as part of the investigation. There are no charges currently in place. The chief medical examiner's office will be conducting an autopsy as part of the investigation's standard protocol, according to the DA's office.
There was another unrelated incident during the same game. A different man at the stadium suffered cardiac arrest and was saved by two off-duty firefighters who administered CPR. According to a Facebook post by Local 1706, that man had food caught in his throat and became unresponsive, but the pair of firefighters happened to be at the right place and right time.
