3 Rhode Island men could face charges in the death of lifelong Patriots’ fan: police

Three men in Rhode Island could face charges in the death of 53-year-old Dale Mooney, a lifelong New England Patriots fan who died after being involved in an altercation at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, last month, police said Thursday. 

The Foxborough Police Department announced in a press release that the three individuals, who have not been identified by law enforcement, could face assault and battery and disorderly conduct charges “in the coming weeks.” 

“The Foxborough Police Department has applied for criminal complaints alleging assault and battery and disorderly conduct against three Rhode Island men stemming from the September 17, 2023 altercation between fans at Gillette Stadium that ended with a New Hampshire man collapsing and later being pronounced dead at a local hospital.”

PATRIOTS’ FAN DEAD AFTER ALTERCATION AT GILLETTE STADIUM DID NOT SUSTAIN ‘TRAUMATIC INJURY,’ AUTOPSY FINDS

Several videos circulating online appeared to show Mooney involved in an altercation with Miami Dolphins fans. Police said Mooney was transported to Sturdy Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead just before midnight. 

Days after Mooney’s death, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office said that the preliminary autopsy report “did not suggest traumatic injury, but did identify a medical issue.” 

Police said Thursday that Mooney’s official cause of death still remains “undetermined” pending further testing by the medical examiner’s office. The circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation, law enforcement added. 

The Foxborough Police Department said while the investigation is still ongoing, “the currently available evidence supported submitting applications for criminal complaint to Wrentham District Court.”

“Police Detectives were able to review numerous witness interviews and multiple angles of video capturing the incident as part of the investigation,” the press release noted. 

According to law enforcement, a probable-cause hearing will be scheduled “in the coming weeks,” which could result in charges and subsequently, the release of the individuals’ identities. 

Stadium officials released a statement at the time of Mooney’s death. He was described as a “a lifelong Patriots fan and 30-year season ticket member.”