Abdul-Jabbar Faces Charges

Misdemeanor criminal battery and false imprisonment charges were filed Monday against retired NBA star Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who is accused of attacking a man during an April 20 confrontation at a West Los Angeles mini-mall.

Abdul-Jabbar, 50, retired in 1989 as the league’s all-time leading scorer.

The maximum penalty for battery is six months in jail and/or a $2,000 fine, and for false imprisonment one year in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. He is scheduled for arraignment Jan. 29.

The alleged victim, Jerry Cohen, 58, contended in a civil suit filed in July that Abdul-Jabbar slammed him against a store window and then onto the ground in a small strip mall. In related court documents, Abdul-Jabbar said he was en route to visit his dying mother when Cohen blocked traffic while waiting for a parking space.