The wife of a man who died after starting a fight at a Patriots game says her husband was verbally taunted by other fans. Authorities say they're trying to figure out what happened.
The wife of the man who died after a Patriots game said he was "verbally taunted" by other fans.
Another witness said he saw the man, Dale Mooney, get hit in an altercation with the fans.
Mooney was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, authorities said.
The wife of the man who died following the New England Patriots game on Sunday said her husband was verbally taunted by other fans in the crowd before his death, WCVB 5 reported.
Dale Mooney, a 53-year-old Pats fan from New Hampshire and a 30-year season ticket holder at Gillette Stadium, died after "an incident" at the game against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday night, the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office told Insider in a statement.
Foxborough police initially responded to the stadium at 10:57 p.m. local time when Mooney needed medical attention, according to the statement. He was then taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital and was "subsequently" pronounced dead, the statement said.
Mooney's wife, Lisa Mooney, told WCVB that her husband went to the game with three friends, one of whom told her that other fans in the 300s section of the stadium were taunting their group during the game.
"I just don't understand why people have to go to that extreme," Lisa Mooney said, according to WCVB. "Why can't it just be fun? That's all it's supposed to be, a fun family event."
She added, "It takes a lot to get him mad."
"He has the patience of a saint. I don't know what happened," Lisa Mooney told WCVB.
Joseph Kilmartin, another fan who witnessed the incident, spoke to WCVB and described a violent interaction toward the end of the fourth quarter of the game.
"He basically grabbed another fan," Kilmartin told WCVB of Mooney. Video Kilmartin recorded, which WCVB obtained, shows Mooney walking over and approaching the other fans.
"They started tussling around for a few minutes. At one point, another fan walked over. He punched him ... and the man just went out. It was pretty hard to watch," Kilmartin said, according to WCVB.
Another witness, Keith Noonan, recalled seeing a "physical altercation" before watching first responders perform CPR on Mooney in the stadium trying "to save this man's life," according to WCVB.
The Norfolk County DA's office told Insider that an investigation into the event is underway as they try to piece together what happened. Autopsy results did not reveal that Mooney died of a traumatic injury, according to the DA's office, but the results did identify a medical issue. The cause and manner of death are pending.
"Our investigation has included numerous law enforcement interviews," the DA's office said. In an email to Insider, a spokesperson for the DA's office confirmed that they had conducted interviews with the other fans involved in the altercation.
The DA's office said they are also examining "multiple angles of video capturing the scuffle prior to Mr. Dale Mooney's collapse during the Sunday night game at Gillette Stadium."
Representatives for the New England Patriots did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
"We are heartbroken to learn of the tragic passing of Dale Mooney, a lifelong Patriots fan and 30-year season ticket member, who died while attending last Sunday night's Patriots game," a statement released by Gillette Stadium officials and shared with Insider said. "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."
Correction: September 21, 2023 — An earlier version of this article misstated the deceased man’s name. His name is Dale Mooney, not Dan.
Read the original article on Insider