Preliminary autopsy does not suggest 'traumatic injury' in death of Patriots fan punched at game
The death of a New England Patriots fan who was attacked by another fan during Sunday night's Dolphins-Patriots game at Gillette Stadium was not due to a "traumatic injury."Police and safety personnel responded to the upper deck of the stadium shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday and found Dale Mooney, 53, of Newmarket, New Hampshire, “in apparent need of medical attention,” the Norfolk County district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Mooney was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight.
On Wednesday, the Norfolk, Massachusetts District Attorney’s Office released details of the preliminary autopsy report that "did not suggest traumatic injury" in Mooney's death. "Our investigation has included numerous law enforcement interviews and the examination of multiple angles of video capturing the scuffle prior to Mr. Dale Mooney’s collapse during the Sunday night game at Gillette Stadium," Wednesday’s statement read.
"Preliminary autopsy results did not suggest traumatic injury, but did identify a medical issue."
The District Attorney’s Office said the official cause and manner of death "remain undetermined pending further testing." Meanwhile, officials with Gillette Stadium released a statement. "We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Dale Mooney, a lifelong Patriots fans and 30-year season ticket member, who died while attending last Sunday night’s Patriots game.
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“We continue to work with local authorities to assist them with their ongoing investigation. We extend our sincerest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to Dale’s family and to all those who are mourning his loss.”Videos of the altercation that preceded Mooney’s death were shared by WJAR-TV on Monday night. The footage shows a fan throwing a punch at a man witnesses claimed to be Mooney, but it's unclear if the man throwing the punch was wearing a Dolphins jersey. There is another man wearing a Dolphins jersey standing nearby.Witness Joey Kilmartin shot video of what he said was a brutal fight. In interviews with several local media outlets, Kilmartin said he saw Mooney confront a Dolphins fan who he had been arguing with during most of the game, which the Dolphins won 24-17.
“He basically engaged in mutual combat with another fan,” Kilmatin told The Boston Globe. “A lot of people started trying to pull them apart. ... It looked like somebody was in the middle of them, and then a man in the Dolphins jersey reached over and he connected with two punches to the victim’s head.
“It wasn’t something crazy or out of the ordinary until, 30 seconds later, the guy wasn’t getting up.”
Fan violence at sporting events, especially among rival supporters, is a long-running problem. Among the most infamous was the 2011 Dodger Stadium parking lot beating of Bryan Stow, a paramedic and San Francisco Giants fan.
Two Los Angeles Dodgers fans punched Stow, who fell to the pavement and suffered severe head injuries. He was awarded about $14 million when a jury found the team was negligent. The attackers received prison sentences.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Autopsy: medical issue, not traumatic injury, led to Patriots fan's death Dolphins game
