KANSAS CITY, Mo. – New information has come out about what the police were looking for at the home of a man who police say punched Kyle Van Winkle in the face just before he died during Sunday’s Chiefs game at Arrowhead Stadium.
Two search warrants were served at an address in Independence that police say is where the man who threw the punch Sunday was staying. Police took a Chiefs jersey, tennis shoes and jeans as evidence for their investigation. A second warrant was served to collect his DNA.
We are not naming that man because he as not been charged, but FOX 4 caught up with his attorney on Thursday and he said he doesn’t think his client will ever be held criminally responsible for Van Winkle’s death.
“There’s a possibility that they are not going to charge him with anything because there is a valid defense because he went to the aid of others,” attorney Gary Helm said.
Helm said this was not a criminal act because his client got involved after hearing a man and a 10-year-old boy screaming for help. The man owns a Jeep that police say Van Winkle climbed into after leaving the Chiefs game in the first quarter.
“He went over there to aid them. They found this gentleman in the vehicle who did not belong,” Helm said. “We don’t know yet if that (the punch) did cause his death, but my guy also felt threatened because of the actions of the victim.”
When pressed for why his client felt threatened, Helm didn’t have a definitive answer.
“Well it was just a conversation between the two and there is a question why he left the game in the first quarter to even go back out to the parking lot to miss one of the biggest Chiefs’ games ever, but I don’t wish to comment anymore,” Helm said.
A witness who only wanted to be named as “Doyle” told us what he saw Sunday in lot A.
“The guys from the tailgate came running over to help. The boy said this guy is in my father’s truck. They had some choice words and next thing I know punches were thrown. The victim never threw one punch,” Doyle said.
Helm did add that his client is remorseful and is sorry that this incident happened in the first place.
