2 Men Charged with Assault Following Death of Patriots Fan Who Was Punched in Stands
John Vieira, 59, and Justin Mitchell, 39, have been charged with assault and disorderly conduct
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Dale Mooney.Two Rhode Island men have been charged in connection with the death of a New England Patriots fan who died following an altercation at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., in September, Norfolk County District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said in a statement to PEOPLE on Thursday.
John Vieira, 59, and Justin Mitchell, 39, have been charged with assault and disorderly conduct after the death of Dale Mooney, 53, who was punched in the face during the scuffle, per a video shared by 7 News WHDH. He collapsed at the scene and was taken to a hospital, where he died.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner's (OCME) preliminary findings showed no indication of traumatic injury but indicated a medical cause of death.
Mooney's cause of death has now been ruled as "probable cardiac dysrhythmia in a person with severe hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease during a physical altercation," per the OCME, the DA's statement said. Mooney's manner of death was ruled to be a homicide.
Related: Patriots Fan Dies From 'Apparent Medical Event' While Attending Game: Report
"The review of the available evidence, including the autopsy results and multiple angles of video capturing the incident, did not determine that the evidence established a basis for criminal prosecution of charges related to homicide in Mr. Mooney’s death," the DA's statement said.
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"We thank the members of the public who made their private videos of the altercation available for our review, and the investigators at the Foxborough Police Department, for their help in establishing a clear picture of these tragic events,” Morrissey's statement concluded.
Vieira and Mitchell are scheduled to be arraigned on January 19 and 26, respectively. PEOPLE was not able to immediately reach attorneys for them.
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