The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry is always a heated one, but during Saturday night's game it turned flat out violent inside the Chowder Pot Restaurant in Branford. Police say a New York fan stabbed a Boston fan in the neck.
"It's stupid," said Branford resident Larry Gennett. "It's absolutely stupid, especially if you're going some place to eat or any place for that matter."
"It's hard to rationalize anything like this happening in this day and age," said Monroe resident Dave Serock. "Why would two grown people fight over something so trivial? I mean it's baseball."
Police say John Mayor, 45 of New Haven and Monte Freire, 43 of New Hampshire, two men who apparently didn't know each other, were at the bar arguing over the game. Things escalated when Mayor allegedly pulled out a knife he had on him and stabbed Freire in the neck. Blood was all over the floor.
Friends of Freire tracked down the suspect in the parking lot. When cops arrived Mayor allegedly took the knife out of his jacket and threw it into the woods. Police then took him into custody.
"Very sad situation," said Capt. Morgan. "For a group of men to come into this area for a baseball tournament, certainly it turned tragic."
Friere was taken to Yale New Haven Hospital and went through several surgeries. He was last listed in critical condition.
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The general manager of the Chowder Pot said that in 30 years of business, nothing like this has ever happened. He says it's an unfortunate situation.
Police say Mayor is facing first-degree assault among other charges. He's being held on $500,000 bond.
