The New Hampshire father of two, who tragically died after an incident at Gillette Stadium during the New England Patriots game, was allegedly had been punched in the face and knocked unconscious by a Miami Dolphins fan, according to reports.
Dale Mooney, 53, was treated at the scene by EMTs and was immediately transported to a hospital following what was described as an "apparent medical event" during the game at Gillette Stadium. However, he was pronounced dead shortly before midnight. This came as Mooney's widow revealed on Tuesday that her late husband was repeatedly taunted by the alleged assailant before the violent attack started.
Provoked and Killed in Broad Daylight
Mooney did not throw a single punch during the fight that killed him at Gillette Stadium, according to his wife Lisa Mooney.
A spectator also claimed on Monday that he saw a physical altercation between Mooney and a Dolphins fan.
Joey Kilmartin of Nashua, New Hampshire, told MassLive that "the Dolphins fan walks over and clearly punches him in the face." "You can tell right away that (he) is not OK after he is knocked out."
According to Kilmartin, Mooney had been involved in a physical altercation with other fans toward the end of the fourth quarter of the game.
Kilmartin said that Mooney remained unconscious after the punch and, tragically, did not regain consciousness. EMTs performed CPR on him before quickly transporting him to Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro.
"It's an unfortunate situation. I feel bad for the family," said Kilmartin, who described the incident to Foxborough police.
Kilmartin provided a video of the incident to WCVB, which showed Mooney's interaction with the other fans at the 300 level of the stadium. The published images from the clip show Mooney having his shirt pulled during the altercation.
"He basically grabbed another fan," Kilmartin told WCVB. "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."
Family Shattered
Lisa Mooney, devastated by the loss of her husband, shared with Boston 25 News that she was informed her husband was taunted by multiple Dolphins fans during the game. Despite the provocation, footage indicates that he did not retaliate during the ordeal.
The tragic and sudden loss of her husband has left Lisa Mooney in a state of shock and disbelief, grappling with the heartbreaking reality of the situation.
"I want to know what happened. What caused this?" she told WCVB. "I just don't understand why people have to go to that extreme. Why can't it just be fun? That's all it's supposed to be — a fun family event."
"It takes a lot to get him mad. He has the patience of a saint. I don't know what happened," Lisa told the outlet, adding that her husband had no medical condition that she knew of.
Lisa Mooney remembered her husband as a 'great dad' to their two adult sons. She expressed her disbelief and the overwhelming numbness she feels, struggling to come to terms with the reality of the tragic incident.
A photo captured from the Foxborough, Massachusetts stadium shows the urgency of the situation, with EMTs rushing to provide help to a person on the ground, surrounded by concerned fans who observed the distressing events unfold.
Videos capturing the incident reveal the efforts of stadium security attempting to intervene and break up a scuffle that had occurred. Subsequently, medics were seen administering CPR shortly after the altercation.
As of now, no charges have been officially filed in connection to the incident. However, Kilmartin told MassLive that he saw cops taking one person into custody.
Massachusetts State Police, under the jurisdiction of the Norfolk District Attorney's Office, are actively investigating the case. Autopsy results are pending.
