NEWS: 5 Pacers, 5 Fans Charged in Detroit Brawl, page 1

Oakland County, Michigan prosecutors filed charges against 5 players from the Pistons and 5 fans in the aftermath of the massive basket-brawl last month. While most of the charges are misdmeanors, 2 fans have had felony assault charges filed against them. One fan, John Green, has been charged with 2 counts of felony assault and has been singled out as the person who instigated the whole debacle. Another fan , Bryant Jackson, was charged with felony assault for alledgedly thrown a chair into the crowd during the fight.

story.news.yahoo.com
PONTIAC, Mich. - Five Indiana Pacers (news) 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 (news) 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.

Please visit the link provided for the complete story.

I am glad that prosecutors have not singled out one side or another. In my opinion both sides hold equal blame for the fracas. This situation could have easily escalated into a major riot, and just shows the need for people to think before reacting in such hasrh ways.

[edit on 8-12-2004 by Banshee]