NYPD: Man punched Irish immigrant in the head; victim died

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM/AP) - A day after a bar fight in Queens ended with the death of a young immigrant from Ireland, the NYPD on Friday arrested a suspect in connection with the case.

Authorities charged Steven O'Brien, 25, of Queens, with assault. Cops said he and John "Danny" McGee, 21, got into a "dispute" inside the Gaslight on Queens Boulevard in Sunnyside early Thursday morning. Their confrontation spilled onto the sidewalk outside the bar where O'Brien punched McGee in the head and the took off, police said.

Police officers and EMTs responding to a 911 call found McGee on the ground with trauma to his head, the NYPD said. He died at Elmhurst Hospital.

Police are investigating McGee's death as a homicide while the medical examiner conducts an autopsy.

O'Brien faced arraignment on Friday afternoon. His lawyer called McGee's death "tragic" but said his client isn't guilty.

McGee moved to New York about a year ago from County Longford in Ireland, according to The Irish Post.

He'd been an avid soccer player in his home country and played for a club called the Fr. Manning Gaels, which said in a statement that he was a "terrific talent."

"Above all he was a young gentleman, with a great sense of humour, who was loved by all who knew him," the club said in a Facebook post. "To his heartbroken family and wide circle of friends we extend our deepest sympathy."

With The Associated Press