Indiana - Detroit "fight" charges filed

[Lsufan]

All were charged for one (1) count of assault and battery:

Ron Artest
Stephen Jackson
David Harrison
Anthony Johnson

Charged with two (2) counts of assault and battery:

Jermaine Oneal

[BettorsChat]

Five Pacers Charged for Fighting With Fans in Detroit

O'Neal Charged With Two Counts of Assault, Battery, Five Fans Also Charged

PONTIAC, Mich. (Dec. 8) -- Five Indiana Pacers players and five fans were charged Wednesday for fighting in the stands and on the court at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons last month.

Players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, David Harrison and Anthony Johnson were all charged with one count of assault and battery, a misdemeanor that carries up to three months in jail and a fine of up to $500. Jermaine O'Neal, a three-time NBA All-Star, was charged with two counts of assault and battery.

All the fans were charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, including Pistons star Ben Wallace's brother, David. Bryant Jackson also was charged with felony assault for allegedly throwing a chair into the fray, Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca said. He faces up to four years in prison if convicted.

Gorcyca singled out spectator John Green, who faces two assault counts and, the prosecutor said, "in my mind single-handedly incited this whole interaction between the fans and players and probably is the one that's most culpable." Green is accused of throwing a cup at Artest, splashing him and sparking the melee.

John Ackerman and William Paulson, each facing an assault charge, also were accused of throwing cups in players' faces. In addition, two men were charged for walking onto the court at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Police said other fans could be charged, too.

James W. Burdick, Jackson's lawyer, said it was "unfair and inappropriate" to charge his client.

"The problem is this: a few crazed drunken fans who created a chaotic situation," Burdick said. "Steve responded in a way that he thought was necessary to protect himself and protect his friends."

Walter Piszczatowski, Harrison's lawyer, said: "David was acting as the peacekeeper throughout that evening. He was trying to make sure everybody was safe."

With less than a minute left in the Pacers-Pistons game Nov. 19, Artest fouled Ben Wallace on a drive to the basket. Wallace responded with a hard, two-handed shove to Artest.

That sparked an initial skirmish, and then Artest retreated to the scorer's table while calm was restored by the officials. But then Artest was hit by the cup, and he stormed into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats.

Jackson joined Artest and threw punches at fans, who punched back. O'Neal hit a fan who was on the court.

Two days later, NBA commissioner David Stern suspended Artest for the rest of the season. Jackson was banned for 30 games, O'Neal for 25, and other players received shorter suspensions.

The players' union is appealing the suspensions of Artest, Jackson and O'Neal, and a grievance hearing is scheduled for Thursday in New York.