A grandfather died after finding himself in a brawl that broke out on the sidelines of a middle school basketball game, allegedly over a referee call.
Russell Giroux, 60, was rushed to a hospital in St. Albans City, Vermont, after Tuesday’s fight, which took place at the Alburgh Community Education Center.
Police described Giroux as a participant in a hand-to-hand fight and revealed that he drove his car away from the scene but later asked police for medical attention. He was then taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The game reportedly involved seventh and eighth grade boys from Alburgh and St Albans Middle Schools, with the violence beginning sometime before 7 p.m. ET. The melee ended when the troops arrived, but was filmed by a bystander.
The circumstances of Giroux’s death are “currently under an active investigation,” Vermont State Police said in a statement Wednesday. Relatives mourned the loss on Wednesday, calling the patriarch their “glue” and “provider” for his family.
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Russell Giroux, pictured here with one of his grandchildren, is now mourned after he was involved in a brawl at a local middle school basketball game
Police responded to the fight before 7:00 p.m. EST at a game between Alburgh and St Albans
Following reports of the fight, which initially involved only spectators at the home game between Alburgh and St Albans, State Troopers were called to the center just after 7pm.
Video captured by the scene shows the several adults rushing onto the pitch and dishing out punches and kicks while several students and players watched from the sidelines.
The recording showed several people rushing into the square, many being pushed, tackled and punched.
It also shows at least one student wearing a St. Albans uniform throwing multiple punches at adults during the riots as parents and school staff try to stop them.
The fight ended before the soldiers arrived – by which time many of the participants had already left, including Giroux, whose grandson Ivan is a student at Alburgh Middle.
It’s not yet clear if the youngster, who has since changed his profile pictures on social media to his late grandfather, was a player in the game.
Giroux, police said, would then drive towards his home before stopping his car to appear to inspect his injuries. He then sought medical help, and an ambulance took him to a nearby hospital.
There, at Northwestern Medical Center in St Albans, Giroux was pronounced dead.
Video captured by the scene shows the several adults rushing onto the pitch and dishing out punches and kicks while several students and players watched from the sidelines
It also shows at least one student in a St. Alban’s uniform throwing multiple punches at adults during the riots as parents and school staff try to stop them.
“The circumstances of his death are being actively investigated,” the Vermont state police told on Thursday, adding that the investigation is being led by both the state police and the Grand Isle Attorney’s Office.
Police added that the Vermont coroner’s office will perform an autopsy on the 60-year-old, while the mother remains silent on the details of his injuries.
Police said the investigation was “in its early stages” and also involved members of the Vermont State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigations, the Field Force Division and the Victim Services Unit.
Giroux’s grandson Ivan (pictured) is a student at Alburgh Middle. It is unclear if the grandfather was watching his grandson when the violence broke out
It’s unclear what sparked the melee – although NBC5 reported that the brawl began after a fan commented on a call from one of the umpires during the game.
The game, outlet witnesses said, sparked a pitchside dispute that eventually spilled over to the court.
Jay Nichols, executive director of the Vermont Principals’ Association, added that the fight seemingly started out of nowhere.
“They reefed the game and the next thing he knew there were people on the court hitting each other,” Nichols said Wednesday.
The boy, seen in the middle with a fellow student, has changed his profile pictures on social media to commemorate his late grandfather
“One person had blood all over his face. You have a parent calling the police.”
Several other local media also reported that at least two boys hit walls after the blast and also required hospital treatment. The identity of these students has yet to be confirmed.
Also injured in the fight was Girroux, whom Ivan’s mother remembered as “husband, son, father, grandfather and friend” on Wednesday.
Within the next ten minutes, Girroux decided to head home, although he would pull up just short of his driveway and call first responders. The extent and exact nature of his injuries are unknown.
Speaking on Wednesday about his office’s investigation, Grand Isle District Attorney Doug DiSabito said police are collecting video footage and information about who was there. An indictment has yet to be formally filed.
Girroux, second from right, was remembered on Wednesday as a “husband, son, father, grandfather and friend” who provided for his family and grandson
Nichols urged adults to behave appropriately at similar events, emphasizing that school basketball games are for educational purposes, not adult entertainment.
Alburgh is a town of about 2,100 people in northwest Vermont, just a few miles from the Canadian border. It is surrounded on three sides by Lake Champlain.
The northern part of the municipality forms part of the border with Canada.
Investigators are asking anyone with information about the fight to get in touch with them. Call Det. Tpr. Michael Mattuchio at St. Albans Barracks at 802-524-5993 or leave a tip anonymously online.
A 60-year-old man died in a school brawl in rural Alburgh, Vermont, while police were investigating