5 men charged in Vermont school basketball brawl, autopsy reveals 60-year-old died from 'cardiac event'
ALBURGH, VERMONT: Five adults were charged with misdemeanor assault for a fight that broke out at a middle school basketball game earlier this year, according to Vermont State Police. However, they won't be held accountable for the death of one participant who later suffered an acute cardiac episode. Police said they observed the boys' basketball game on January 31 on numerous videos.
They found that a verbal altercation between groups of Alburgh and Albans City School supporters turned into a physical fight on the court. There is "no evidence to support criminal charges related to the death" of 60-year-old Russell Giroux, who died more than two hours after the altercation at the Alburgh Community Education Center, according to police.
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'Acute cardiac event'
The medical examiner ruled the cause of death to be an "acute cardiac event following an altercation in an individual with coronary artery atherosclerosis" last month. It is to be noted that the cause of death was "undetermined," as reported by DailyMail.
The five, whose ages vary from 24 to 43, are scheduled to be arraigned on May 11. After the altercation, the Alburgh middle school declared that fans would not be permitted to watch home basketball games for the remainder of the season. Police said that Giroux drove his car away from the scene but afterward called them for help with his injuries. They identified him as a participant in the melee. He was then taken to a hospital and later declared dead.
The incident apparently began before 7 pm ET and affected boys in the seventh and eighth grades from the middle schools in Alburgh and St Albans. The fight was over when the troopers arrived, but a bystander recorded it on camera, as reported by Complex.
'Glue of the family'
Mourning family members described Giroux as their "glue" and "provider." Following reports of the altercation, which at first only involved spectators at the home game between Alburgh and St Albans, state troopers were summoned to the center shortly after 7 o'clock. As other students and players watched from the sidelines, a video showed several adults jumping onto the court and delivering punches and kicks.
Additionally, it shows at least one student striking adults repeatedly while wearing a St Albans uniform as parents and school employees attempt to quell the disturbance. Many of the players had already fled as the conflict came to an end before the soldiers arrived.
According to investigators, Giroux then drove toward his house before stopping, apparently to inspect his wounds. He then requested medical help, and an ambulance took him to a local hospital. Giroux was declared dead at the St Albans Northwestern Medical Center, as per reports.