A 55-year-old man is in critical condition after a fight during the Baltimore Ravens game at M&T Bank Stadium Sunday.
Around 3:30 p.m., fans alerted police of a fight at one of the exit ramps at the stadium. Officers arrived to find the victim lying on his back and unresponsive.
Two men, identified as 30-year-old Scott Smith of Mt Vernon, NY and 31-year-old Andrew Nappi of Eastchester, NY, were seen walking away from the victim. Police said a verbal altercation between the victim and the two men turned physical.
"Through investigation it was determined there was a verbal altercation, which led to a physical altercation. In this case, the victim was pushed striking his head on the ground and he went unconscious," said Baltimore City Police Lieutenant Jarron Jackson.
The victim, Joseph Bauer of Jessup, was taken to Shock Trauma Center where as of Monday afternoon he was listed in critical condition.
"You know, we don't know what the fight was over, but no competition, no football game, no rivalry is worth someone being in the hospital fighting for their life right now," said Jackson.
According to court documents, Nappi alleged Bauer threw a bottle and hit Smith in the head. Nappi then told police that he struck Bauer in the face.
Bauer's wife recounted a different scenario where Nappi struck her husband in the face and then Smith shoved him to the ground causing him to hit his head. Another witness said the same thing to police.
"They're charged with aggravated assault and hopefully those charges won't be upgraded. Hopefully, this victim will be treated and returned to his family but unfortunately right now his family is in the hospital praying for his speedy recovery like we all are," said Jackson.
The Baltimore Ravens released an official statement regarding Sunday's incident:
“Our sympathies and prayers go out to Mr. Joseph Bauer, his wife Sharon and the rest of his family. We have reached out to the family and have received a report on Mr. Bauer’s condition.
“We are deeply concerned about this assault and are learning as much as we can about it. Safety for our fans is a top priority. Confrontational and inflammatory behavior is never tolerated and is unacceptable at Ravens home games.”
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**Editor's Note: This story has been updated to reflect the victim's age of 55.
