Two men charged with assault after New England Patriots fan dies
Two Rhode Island residents have been charged in the death of a New England Patriots fan at a game in September, according to a news report released Thursday. The death was ruled a homicide.
Suspects John Vieira, 59, and Justin Mitchell, 39, both of Warwick, Rhode Island, were charged with assault and disorderly conduct. Their court cases are pending.
The two got into a fight on September 17 during a game at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts. A third man, Dale Mooney, 53, died after the fight.
Initially, there was conflicting information about who, if anyone, was responsible for Mooney's death.
Death is Murder
The Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled the death a homicide. However, local prosecutors concluded that the case did not warrant murder charges.
An autopsy revealed that Mooney suffered from severe atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
According to the coroner's office, the fight left him with "possible cardiac arrhythmia." This is related to his death.
Given the chaos of the incident, authorities must resolve some conflicting evidence.
It is understood the three were in the upper level of the stadium during the Patriots game against the Miami Dolphins. There, Mooney, who was wearing a Patriots jersey, got into an argument with two others. The two are Mitchell, who is wearing a Dolphins jersey, and 39-year-old George Chiarillo.
The heated argument soon escalated, with Vieira and Mitchell allegedly punching Mooney on the head. Mooney was unconscious and first responders spent about 10 minutes trying to revive him. He was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he died.
"Preliminary autopsy results do not indicate traumatic injuries but did identify medical issues," the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office announced in a Sept. 20 statement.
Contradictory statement
Police interviewed many fans at the scene of the fight and also reviewed cellphone videos taken by spectators.
Several witnesses later reported that Mr. Mooney wanted to fight Mr. Mitchell based on his actions and comments and tried to persuade Mr. Mitchell to fight him. ” Foxborough, Mass., police detective Mark Bohnenberger wrote in a statement obtained by reports cited by the New York Post.
In September, Joseph Kilmartin, who was also there, told Boston station WCVB, that Mooney "basically grabbed another fan."
"They started arguing for a few minutes. At some point, another fan came over. He hit him ... and (Mooney) walked out," ABC News reported.
The Boston Globe also revealed that Chiarillo was involved in an unrelated altercation at the same game. He was charged with assault, battery and disorderly conduct. He pleads not guilty.
Mooney lives in Newmarket, New Hampshire. He was buried wearing a Mac Jones Patriots jersey, the Post reported. Jones plays quarterback for the team.
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