Michael Dwyer/AP
Foxborough Police and Fire initially responded to the incident at Gillette Stadium around 10:57 p.m.
CNN
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A man who attended Sunday night’s New England Patriots game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., said he witnessed a “violent confrontation” that led to the death of a fan, according to an interview with CNN affiliate WCVB.
Dale Mooney, 53, of Newmarket, New Hampshire, died after an “incident” during the New England Patriots versus Miami Dolphins game Sunday night, the Norfolk County District Attorney’s office said.
Joseph Kilmartin, a Patriots fan who was at the game, told WCVB he witnessed Mooney approach a group of fans on the 300 floor of the stadium near the end of the fourth quarter.
“He basically grabbed another fan,” Kilmartin said. “They started to tussle for a few minutes. At one point, another fan walked over. He punched him… and the man just walked out. It was pretty hard to watch,” Kilmartin said.
Kilmartin declined CNN’s request for an interview.
Foxborough police and firefighters first responded to the incident around 10:57 p.m., when Mooney required medical attention, the district attorney’s office said in a statement to CNN on Monday.
Mooney was taken to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just before midnight, Massachusetts State Police said in a statement to CNN on Monday.
Police and the Norfolk County District Attorney have opened an investigation. CNN reached out to state police and the district attorney’s office for comment on the alleged confrontation, but did not hear back.
Mooney’s wife, Lisa, told WCVB that her husband, a 30-year season ticket holder and father of two, went to Gillette Stadium with three friends who later told her they were “verbally taunted” by other fans during the game.
“It takes a long time to get mad,” Lisa Mooney said. “He has the patience of a saint. I do not know what happened.”
According to Lisa Mooney, her husband had no known medical conditions that she was aware of.
“I want to know what happened,” Lisa Mooney told WCVB. “What caused it?”
CNN could not reach Lisa Mooney for comment.
The results of the autopsy have not been released, and CNN’s calls to the medical examiner were not returned.
“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 a Patriots game last Sunday,” Gillette Stadium officials said in a statement. “We continue to work with local authorities to assist them with their ongoing investigation. Our deepest sympathy and condolences go out to Dale’s family and all who mourn his loss.
CNN reached out to the New England Patriots for comment, but did not hear back.
