Excesses in sports rivalries can go way too far and that was the case Sunday when a longtime New England Patriots fan lost his life following a physical altercation with a Miami Dolphins fan , at Gillette Stadium.
Dale Mooney was a Patriots season ticket holder for 30 years. In the fourth quarter of a tough division duel, a fight broke out in section 308/309 of Patriots stadium, shortly before 11 p.m.
According to people on site who spoke to NBC Boston, a vicious punch was delivered to the head of the victim, who immediately lost consciousness.
“That was definitely a move I saw. The victim was hit really hard on the side of the head and he fell. He seemed quite strong, but he collapsed,” said a witness.
Security officers intervened, while paramedics transported the 53-year-old man from New Hampshire to hospital. He was pronounced dead around midnight.
Police are now investigating “the facts and circumstances leading to the man’s death, including the sequence of events leading up to the medical incident,” a police spokesperson said.
So far, no charges have been filed, according to the prosecutor.
According to a witness, the first responders tried to resuscitate the victim in the stands for at least 10 minutes.
“The match continued and the public was aware of what was happening in our section. People were cheering for the Patriots to mount a comeback while this poor man was dying before our eyes. It was quite brutal to see,” testified a supporter.
Dale Mooney was married for 30 years and had two children.
fr