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Person Who Beat Up Jets Fan: “You All Deserved What Happened On 9/11!”
By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 14, 2011
Modified Dec 14, 2011
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By
Ben Yakas
Published Dec 14, 2011
Modified Dec 14, 2011
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A gang of football fans beat up a Jets fan after a game at MetLife Stadium on Sunday—and one of the assailants allegedly taunted, “You all deserved what happened on 9/11!” According to the Post, Queens resident James Mohr, a 23-year-old physical-education teacher at the Bronx Guild vocational high school, was walking through Parking Lot J after the Jets thoroughly beat the Chiefs 37-10 when a woman in a group (who were allegedly Chiefs fans) screamed the 9/11 comment, as well as “F--k New York.” Mohr, who was wearing Jets gear, told them the 9/11 insult was “disrespectful,” and the group jumped him soon after. Mohr suffered a fractured jaw, cheekbone and eye socket in the beatdown, and also had bleeding on the brain.
Mohr underwent hours of surgery to repair his shattered face at Hackensack University Medical Center, according to his sister Anna Mohr. “He’s hanging in there and he’s scheduled for surgery. We won’t know too much until that’s done,” she told the Post. State troopers have arrested Merle Lee, 35, of Newton, NJ. He was initially only charged with assault, but when Mohr's condition worsened, it was increased to aggravated assault. Police believe up to seven people attacked Mohr, and an investigation is still ongoing; they add that the incident "was not a Jets-Chiefs melee."
A stadium rep said about the incident, “This is an unacceptable attack on one of our guests and we have been working with the New Jersey State Police to make sure the man arrested is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” Mohr's sister gave some more background on why her brother felt so provoked by the initial comments: “Our other brother is a fireman, and my father is retired FDNY, so you can understand why a 9/11 comment would especially irk him. He was shocked anyone would actually say something like that.”
Earlier this season, a Taser fight at the stadium was sparked by a perceived lack of patriotism.
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9/11
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football
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Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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