Arrests In Phillies Fan Beating Death

PHILADELPHIA - Philadelphia police have two men in custody and expect to arrest another person in connection with Saturday night’s beating death of a Phillies fan outside Citizens Bank Park.

Investigators said a fight began inside McFadden's Restaurant and Saloon at the ballpark and then spilled out into a parking lot, where the 22-year-old man was beaten to death, Fox 29's Steve Keeley reported.

The man has been identified as David Sale of Lansdale. Police said he was punched and kicked repeatedly in the head.

It's not yet clear what sparked the altercation during the closing innings of a game between the Phillies and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Philadelphia police said the argument that began inside McFadden's was between a bachelor party and another group of men who took a bus there from the Fishtown section of the city. The fracas may have involved as many as 30 people.

The men took their dispute outside to a parking lot near 7th and Pattison Avenue. That's where detectives say Sale was brutally beaten.

Sale was pronounced dead at the hospital. He suffered injuries to his head and chest.

A 36-year-old man was also hurt. He was taken to Methodist Hospital and later released.

Police have questioned dozens of people and are building a case against a couple of men.

The two men in custody are expected to be charged Monday, along with another person police expect to have into custody sometime Monday.

Phillies fans, on their way to a Sunday afternoon game, expressed their disbelief that a fan was killed after a fight in a stadium parking lot.

"That's just messed up to do something like that," said fan Hank Clark Sr. "I don't care what the man did, nothing justifies that. It's a game. We're here to enjoy ourselves."

"It's so sad that we came out here to have a good time and people came out here and somebody actually gets killed. It's really sad," added Scott Bentz.

"I can't imagine what kind of argument broke out that it made someone lose their life over it. It's just sad," said Ellen Corazo.

"Stuff like that doesn't really happen. That's terrible and my thoughts and prayers go out to that family," said Veronica Watkins.

Cardinals fans Fox 29 News talked to weren't worried. And don't see this as a reflection on all Phillies fans.

"I know I'm walking into a hostile territory, but it's a baseball game for crying out loud," said Monte Schisler, a Cardinals fan.

Still, many Phillies fans are worried this unfortunate incident will give the team and its fans a black eye.

"The vast majority of fans act well at games, act well outside of games. And are cordial with opposing fans, but it's a select group of knuckleheads that take it a little too far and then give the whole city of Philadelphia a bad name," said Hank Clarke II.

Most fans look at this as an isolated incident that won't keep them away from the games, especially with World Series Champions performing as well as they are right now.