Five Indiana Pacer players and seven Detroit Piston fans were charged Wednesday for their part in the Nov. 19 brawl in the Palace of Auburn Hills, Mich.
Indiana's Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson, David Harrison and Anthony Johnson each were charged with one count of assault and battery, a misdemeanor that could bring three months in jail and a $500 fine. Jermaine O'Neal was charged with two counts of assault and battery.
Five of the fans were also each charged with one count of assault and battery. One of them, Bryant Jackson, 35, was additionally charged with felony assault, punishable by up to four years in prison, for allegedly hurling a chair. Two other fans were charged for coming onto the court, a violation of a local ordinance.
Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca announced the charges at a news conference in Pontiac, Mich. He said the players and fans probably would face probation and fines if convicted.
Among the fans charged was John Green, the man accused of throwing a cup of ice at Artest, who then charged into the stands. Also charged was Piston center Ben Wallace's brother David, who was visiting from Selma, Ala.
"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," Gorcyca said.
The other two fans charged with assault and battery were John Ackerman and William Paulson. Both are accused of throwing drinks at players.
All the players except Harrison were disciplined by the NBA. Wallace and Johnson have served their suspensions and rejoined their teams. Artest has been suspended for the rest of the season, Jackson for 25 games and O'Neal for 20.
The NBA Players Assn. has appealed on behalf of the suspended players. The case is to go before an arbitrator today in New York, who will rule whether Commissioner David Stern has jurisdiction to hear an appeal.
However, if the arbitrator doesn't find for the NBA, the league already has announced it will pursue the matter in federal court.
Russ Granik, NBA deputy commissioner, issued a terse statement Wednesday, noting, "We have cooperated fully with the Auburn Hills Police and Oakland County Prosecutors Office investigations. We do not contemplate any additional player discipline and will not be commenting further at this time."
