Crime & Safety
Bloomington Hockey Coach Dies After Being Punched Outside Bar
Officials said he fell down the stairs, hitting his head on concrete.
BLOOMINGTON, MN— A hockey coach for Bloomington Jefferson High School died after being punched outside Herbie's On the Park in St. Paul on Saturday after an argument about social distancing, The Star Tribune reported.
Officials said Michael G. Ryan, 48, sustained a fatal brain injury after he was punched due to him falling backwards down the stairs and hitting his head on concrete.
The man who is accused of punching Ryan, Ryan Whisler, 44, was charged with second-degree murder on Monday, officials said.
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According to a witness account provided by officials, Ryan confronted Whisler about not social distancing in the bathroom, and that Whisler then grabbed Ryan's shirt and tried to pull his mask off before punching him.
Patch has reached out to the Ramsey County Attorney's Office to independently confirm the details of this story.
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