By DeAnn Smith
Kansas City (KCTV) -- A man is dead following a struggle in an Arrowhead Stadium parking lot as the Kansas City Chiefs and Denver Broncos played each other.
Kansas City police Chief Darryl Forte called it a homicide in a tweet. Other police officials called it a death investigation.
Police officials said the struggle occurred in Lot A during the game. The man was rushed to an area hospital, where he died.
Three persons of interest are in custody. Police have not provided details on their connection to the death.
Officers were called to the scene at 5:20 p.m. The game started at 3:25 p.m.
Police sources tell KCTV5 that a man and his son had gone to their Jeep during the game. When they arrived, they found a man who they say they didn't know sitting inside the SUV. Detectives are working to determine whether the man had broken into the vehicle or was mistakenly in the wrong vehicle. An initial report from police said the man was rifling through the vehicle.
As the man and the Jeep owner began to fight, the owner's young son ran for help. The man who was found in the Jeep collapsed onto the pavement. He was rushed to the hospital, where he would die. The man was described as in his mid 20s.
Officers said they aren't aware of any other break-ins at Arrowhead on Sunday.
Kansas City police Officer Darrin Snapp said an autopsy will be key since the man wasn't stabbed or shot. Hospital officials didn't find signs of a significant struggle on his body.
"The main thing we're trying to figure out now is exactly how this person died. The hospital says there's no obvious signs of how he passed away, so we're still waiting on that. We're going to investigate it as a homicide until we find out exactly how the person died," Snapp said.
He also said that three are in custody as persons of interest and police are interviewing witnesses.
"Everyone was very cooperative when we got here," Snapp said. "Everyone that we believed was involved is still here and we're talking to them. Right now they're persons of interest. Like I said, until we find out exactly how this person passed away, we're going to investigate it as a homicide. They're not suspects right now until we find out exactly what happened."
Those parked nearby were stunned.
"More than anything it's just the fact that it happened so close to us makes it more into perspective than anything, but Arrowhead I don't think is the issue here. I think the fact that we live in a crazy, sick world is more the issue," Marcus Pitts said.
The man's death occurred exactly one year after Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher killed Kasandra Perkins, the mother of his infant daughter, and then drove to Arrowhead, where he killed himself in front of horrified team leaders.
