Minnesota authorities are investigating death A decorated Vietnam War Marine veteran was beaten by a teenage boy in front of his wife in a park.
According to St. Paul Police, just after 5 p.m. on January 28, a woman called Harriet Island Regional Park to report that her husband had been punched in the face.
When they arrived, they found 76-year-old Thomas Dunn suffering from injuries sustained in the fight and bleeding from his eyes.
Dunn explained what happened before being taken to the hospital. A few weeks later, the veteran died after a long hospitalization.
he told the police He said he and his wife were driving through a park when they spotted a young man urinating in public. He stopped to take photographic evidence, but was confronted by the man and two others. They tried to take his cell phone, but one of them hit him.
According to police, the man’s injuries were so severe that he could not stop bleeding.
They were also able to identify three men and charged one of them, a 17-year-old, with first-degree assault.
St. Paul Police Sergeant Mike Ernster said it may take weeks for the Ramsey County coroner to reach a definitive conclusion on Dunn’s exact cause of death. Depending on the outcome, the charges against the boy could be upgraded.
“The Ramsey County Prosecutor’s Office will review new evidence submitted by law enforcement and consider additional charges,” a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said in a statement.
Dan served two tours in Vietnam and served over 20 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve. He received the Legion of Merit Award as part of his accomplishments.
His wife, Heather Broderick, told KSTP-TV that he underwent eye surgery that took three and a half hours after the assault. She said she thought maybe he would have to live without eyes.
Although he was discharged from the hospital, complications forced him to be readmitted the next day, where he remained until his death on February 23.
“It’s just a terrible loss. A terrible loss,” Broderick said.
Prosecutors are also considering a petition to have the boy tried as an adult.
Reports regarding this incident are as follows:
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