DA investigating death of fan after incident at Patriots game

Police are investigating the death of a New England man who attended Sunday night’s Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.Authorities did not immediately say whether his death was related to an altercation he was involved in. The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said 53-year-old Dale Mooney of Newmarket, New Hampshire, died following an incident in the 300-tier section of Gillette Stadium.The DA’s office said police and fire personnel responded to the section where Mooney was in apparent need of medical attention at approximately 10:57 p.m. Sunday.Authorities said Mooney was transported to the Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where he was pronounced dead.”Numb. I just feel numb,” his wife, Lisa Mooney, said. “I just can’t even believe this is for real.”Lisa Mooney said Dale was a season ticket holder for 30 years.“I want to know what happened,” Lisa Mooney told WCVB. “What caused this?”Mooney’s wife said her husband, a father of two, went to Gillette Stadium from their New Hampshire home with three friends who told her they were verbally taunted by other fans during the game.Joseph Kilmartin, another fan who witnessed the incident, described it as a violent confrontation toward the end of the fourth quarter of the game between the Patriots and the Dolphins.Video Kilmartin recorded shows Dale Mooney as he approaches a group of fans on the 300-level of the stadium.”He basically grabbed another fan,” Kilmartin said. “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.” Witnesses say there were some verbal confrontations between two groups of fans Sunday night.”I just saw a movement within that group that really denoted that there was some physical altercation going on and some people trying to break it up, some people trying to — you know — kind of distance themselves away from it,” witness Keith Noonan said. Noonan was attending the game with his son. “My son was a little shaken by this. I was shaken as well,” Noonan said.First responders performed CPR on Dale Mooney at the stadium. “That’s where we got a direct view of these heroes doing everything they could to try to save this man’s life,” Noonan said.”I just don’t understand why people have to go to that extreme,” Lisa Mooney said. “Why can’t it just be fun? That’s all it’s supposed to be, a fun family event.”Lisa said her husband had no known medical condition that she knew about.”It takes a lot to get him mad,” Lisa Mooney said. “He has the patience of a saint. I don’t know what happened.””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 written statement released by Gillette Stadium officials said on Tuesday afternoon, 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.”Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office were assigned to the investigation.The District Attorney’s Office said the death investigation was following “normal protocol.” No charges have been filed.Autopsy results were expected to be available on Tuesday. The results were not immediately made public.

Police are investigating the death of a New England man who attended Sunday night’s Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

Authorities did not immediately say whether his death was related to an altercation he was involved in.

The Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office said 53-year-old Dale Mooney of Newmarket, New Hampshire, died following an incident in the 300-tier section of Gillette Stadium.

The DA’s office said police and fire personnel responded to the section where Mooney was in apparent need of medical attention at approximately 10:57 p.m. Sunday.

Authorities said Mooney was transported to the Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, where he was pronounced dead.

“Numb. I just feel numb,” his wife, Lisa Mooney, said. “I just can’t even believe this is for real.”

Lisa Mooney said Dale was a season ticket holder for 30 years.

“I want to know what happened,” Lisa Mooney told WCVB. “What caused this?”

Mooney’s wife said her husband, a father of two, went to Gillette Stadium from their New Hampshire home with three friends who told her they were verbally taunted by other fans during the game.

Joseph Kilmartin, another fan who witnessed the incident, described it as a violent confrontation toward the end of the fourth quarter of the game between the Patriots and the Dolphins.

Video Kilmartin recorded shows Dale Mooney as he approaches a group of fans on the 300-level of the stadium.

“He basically grabbed another fan,” Kilmartin said. “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.”

Witnesses say there were some verbal confrontations between two groups of fans Sunday night.

“I just saw a movement within that group that really denoted that there was some physical altercation going on and some people trying to break it up, some people trying to — you know — kind of distance themselves away from it,” witness Keith Noonan said.

Noonan was attending the game with his son. “My son was a little shaken by this. I was shaken as well,” Noonan said.

First responders performed CPR on Dale Mooney at the stadium. “That’s where we got a direct view of these heroes doing everything they could to try to save this man’s life,” Noonan said.

“I just don’t understand why people have to go to that extreme,” Lisa Mooney said. “Why can’t it just be fun? That’s all it’s supposed to be, a fun family event.”

Lisa said her husband had no known medical condition that she knew about.

“It takes a lot to get him mad,” Lisa Mooney said. “He has the patience of a saint. I don’t know what happened.”

“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 written statement released by Gillette Stadium officials said on Tuesday afternoon, 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.”

Massachusetts State Police assigned to the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office were assigned to the investigation.

The District Attorney’s Office said the death investigation was following “normal protocol.”

No charges have been filed.

Autopsy results were expected to be available on Tuesday. The results were not immediately made public.

The Post DA investigating death of fan after incident at Patriots game Originally Posted on www.wcvb.com

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