Players, fans face charges

PONTIAC, Mich. – Five Indiana Pacers players and seven Detroit Pistons fans were charged Wednesday in one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history – the melee last month that broke out on the basketball court and spread to the stands.

NBA players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, David Harrison and Anthony Johnson were all charged with one count of assault and battery, a misdemeanor that could bring three months in jail and a $500 fine. Three-time All-Star Jermaine O’Neal was charged with two counts of the same offense.

Five of the fans were charged with the same offenses. One of them, Bryant Jackson, 35, was also charged with felony assault for allegedly hurling a chair. That crime is punishable by up to four years in prison, but he could get even more time because he has prior criminal convictions.

Another, John Green, 39, who is accused of throwing a cup at Artest, splashing him and sparking the brawl, also has a prior criminal record. The other fans and players would not likely face jail time if they have clean records.

“Typically someone who has no prior criminal record and due to the fact there were no extenuating injuries, (they likely would face) probations, fines and costs,” Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca said.

Now that arrest warrants have been issued, the prosecutor said the players and fans charged are required to turn themselves in. He said some of the accused or their attorneys contacted his office earlier and said they would do so.

Bryant Jackson, who appeared briefly in court Wednesday afternoon, told a judge he has prior convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and domestic violence. Asked for comment afterward, he raised his fist and said “Pistons!”

The fight erupted Nov. 19 during a game against the Detroit Pistons after an on-court dispute over a foul. A fan tossed a drink at Artest, who then charged into the stands and began beating a man he mistakenly thought had done it.

“John Green … in my mind single-handedly incited this whole interaction between the fans and players and probably is the one that’s most culpable,” said Gorcyca, who relied in part on video footage of the brawl in bringing charges.

The fans charged also included Detroit Pistons star Ben Wallace’s brother, David, of Selma, Ala., who was in town to watch the game, and two others who allegedly threw cups in players’ faces. Two others were charged with violating a local ordinance that prohibits fans from entering the court.

Two of the fans involved, Green and Charlie Haddad, who was charged with entering the court, have been banned from The Palace. Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said letters would go out today to the other fans charged informing them they too are no longer allowed at the arena.

After Artest climbed into the stands, Jackson joined him and threw punches at fans, who punched back. O’Neal hit a fan who ran onto the court. Gorcyca said there was no evidence that any Pistons players threw punches during the melee.

Jackson’s lawyer, James Burdick, said the basketball player was defending himself. “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.”

Harrison’s attorney, Walter Piszczatowski, said the athlete was acting as a “peacekeeper.”

Gorcyca said investigators are trying to identify all the fans who entered the court during the fight or dumped drinks and debris on players. More people could be charged.