Pacers will be charged, prosecutor says

One officer says 4 will be charged with assault and battery

Duane Burleson / AP file

Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest gets into the stands to fight with fans during a brawl Friday night.

Slideshow

Golden State Warriors v Dallas Mavericks, Game 1

Dancers from around the league
Check out some of the dancers from the NBA.

more photos

Rotoworld.com

Granger to start for Pacers on Friday

Devin Harris to return to starting lineup Fri

Dunleavy to debut, Granger may play Friday

Devin Harris to start for Nets at Sacramento

Caron Butler to start for Wiz on Friday

Video: NBA from NBC Sports

A little arrogant? You have to be, Kobe Bryant says
In this web-exclusive clip, NBA great Kobe Bryant responds to the perception of him from his teammates and from the public that he has came to view as growing pains.

Abdul-Jabbar managing his illness

Lakers basketball great shares cancer journey

Scary time for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Bad blow for Griffin, Clippers

KG's excited to be back

NBA's in a good place

Ask the NBA expert: Ira Winderman

Do you have a burning question about your favorite team or player? Submit it now, and then check back for our reader mailbag on the 1st and 15th of each month.

E-mail your questions

updated 7:30 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2004

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Indiana Pacers players will be charged for fighting with fans during the Nov. 19 brawl at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons, Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca told The Detroit News.

“Whoever was involved in fisticuffs will be charged, regardless if they were wearing a jersey. It’s obvious there were several Pacer players and fans that dealt blows,” Gorcyca said, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

The prosecutor declined to say which players would be charged or what the charges might be.

Story continues below ↓

advertisement | your ad here

Auburn Hills police Lt. James Manning told the newspaper that he expects four members of the Pacers to face assault and battery charges.

Manning said at a news conference Monday that a lawyer for the Pacers told detectives that none of the players would agree to be interviewed by police. Prosecutors could get the police report by the beginning of next week, Manning said.

NBA brawl
5 Pacers, 7 Pistons fans charged
Pacers, but not NBA, meet with arbitrator
Celizic: Artest, teammates deserve jail time
Vote: What do you think of charges?
The fight between spectators and players broke out near the end of the game after an on-court dispute over a foul. A fan hurled a drink at Pacers forward Ron Artest, who charged into the stands, followed by teammates.

Artest was suspended without pay for the rest of the season by the NBA; Stephen Jackson was suspended for 30 games, Jermaine O’Neal for 25. The players’ union appealed those punishments.

Police determined that a fourth member of the Pacers, reserve center David Harrison, was involved in the brawl, too, but the NBA didn’t suspend him.