On Friday, Vermont State Police stated that they had issued citations to five adults in connection with a fight that occurred during a middle school basketball game and resulted in the death of a 60-year-old man.
Following an assessment of various recordings, it was established that a verbal altercation between Alburgh fans and St. Albans boys’ basketball teams, escalated into a physical altercation during the game that took place in January 2023.
According to the authorities, Russell Giroux, a participant in the altercation, experienced a cardiac incident while driving home and was declared dead at the hospital two hours following the incident.
At the time of the altercation, the school administrators issued a statement addressing Giroux’s passing.
“We expect better from our communities,” the statement read. “Fighting and violence are wholly inconsistent with the behaviors we encourage and support. We always seek to foster a positive learning environment in school and at school events for our students. The tragic events that preceded Mr. Giroux’s death have caused our schools to evaluate school programs and community involvement.”
Nevertheless, the individuals involved in the brawl, are now facing “simple assault – mutual affray, and disorderly conduct” charges. However, authorities says there’s not any evidence to support the criminal charges related to Giroux’s death.
The adult’s arraignment is scheduled for May 11th. The affidavits detailing the probable cause will be made available following the arraignments.
