Report: Charges Set For Players, Fans In Basketbrawl
Official Announcement Expected Wednesday
POSTED: Tuesday, December 7, 2004
UPDATED: 1:44 pm EST December 7,
2004
DETROIT -- Ten people are expected to face charges for the brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills.
WDIV-TV in Detroit is reporting that five Indiana Pacers players and five fans who were in the stands will face charges for the Nov. 19 incident.The charges include two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery for Pacers player Jermaine O'Neal. Players Ron Artest, David Harrison, Anthony Johnson and Stephen Jackson will face one count of misdemeanor assault and battery, according to the station.Charges for fans include two counts of misdemeanor assault and battery for John Green, the West Bloomfield season-ticket holder accused of throwing the cup that started the brawl; one count of felony assault and one count of misdemeanor assault and battery for Bryant Jackson, a 35-year-old season ticket holder from Mundy Township who is accused of throwing a chair into the crowd; one count of misdemeanor assault and battery for David Wallace, the brother of Detroit Piston Ben Wallace who was identified in a videotape of the brawl; and one count of misdemeanor assault and battery charges for two other fans who were not named.Auburn Hills police wrapped up their investigation on Friday and handed their findings over to Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca.Two full-time warrant writers reviewed documents and videotape. The tape shows a fan, believed to be Green, throwing a plastic cup of beer at Artest, who was sprawled on his back on a scorer's table, away from a scuffle on the court. Artest then jumped up and charged into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats. WDIV-TV discovered raw footage of the suspected chair tosser, which led police to Bryant Jackson.The cost of the procedure to review the tapes is reportedly $10,000 a day.Gorcyca is expected to make the official announcement of charges in a press conference scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.In addition to the assault charges, several Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons were suspended for their roles in the incident.
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See Video Of Fight At The Palace Previous Stories:
- December 3, 2004: Arbitrator Steps Into Artest Mess
- December 1, 2004: Stern: Tighter Security Coming In January
- November 24, 2004: Artest: 'I Shouldn't Have Gone Into The Stands'
- November 24, 2004: Union Appeals NBA Brawl Suspensions
- November 23, 2004: Pacers' Artest Says Punishment Too Tough
- November 22, 2004: Basketbrawl Spawns Two Fan Lawsuits
- November 20, 2004: 3 Pacers, 1 Piston Indefinitely Suspended For Basketbrawl
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