- Jan 7, 2002
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Two fans sued the Indiana Pacers and players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal on Tuesday, contending they were injured in the brawl at the end of the Pistons-Pacers game.
Lawyers for John Ackerman and William Paulson filed suits in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, seeking unspecified damages.
Ackerman, a 67-year-old retired auto worker, says he was hit by O'Neal and then by a chair that a fan hurled into the crowd. His suit also names Palace Sports & Entertainment Inc., which operates the Pistons' arena.
"He was knocked unconscious by the chair," said Todd Weglarz, who along with lawyer Geoffrey Fieger represents the men. "The next thing he recalls is being helped into a wheelchair."
Police released a copy of a videotape Tuesday showing a man who investigators believe threw the chair, and they asked the public to help identify him.
Fieger, a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is known for representing high-profile clients such as assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.
Paulson, 26, says he was punched by Jackson and assaulted by Artest. Weglarz said Paulson's family has had Pistons season tickets for about 25 years.
Paulson, who works in real estate, and Ackerman have been diagnosed with concussions from the brawl, Weglarz said.
The NBA suspended Artest for the season, Jackson for 30 games and O'Neal for 25.
Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said the team and The Palace were aware of the lawsuits but declined comment. The Pacers did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca has said the only possible felony charge in the brawl could be against the chair-thrower. He said other charges most likely would be for misdemeanor assault and battery.
Auburn Hills police Lt. James Manning said the investigation could take two to three weeks. Investigators are reviewing videotapes and interviewing witnesses. Artest and other Pacers had not been interviewed, Manning said.
Another fan, John Green, has been identified as the one who threw a cup that hit Artest before the Indiana forward charged into the stands. Gorcyca recognized Green -- a former neighbor -- after repeatedly watching footage of the brawl.
Once Artest was in the stands, Green grabbed him from behind and sucker-punched him, the prosecutor said.
Green, a 39-year-old contractor, told reporters Monday that it may have looked like he threw the cup, but he didn't.
"I wish the whole thing didn't happen," he said. "It was awful, it was ugly."
Green's attorney, Shawn Smith, said his client became involved in the brawl only when he saw Artest hitting a smaller man. Green also said Artest kicked him in the shin "a couple of times."
"We have no comment on who threw the cup, it's irrelevant," Smith said. He said fans shouldn't throw things, "but is it a criminal offense? I don't think so."
During an appearance Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Green described himself as a respected businessman with a wife and two children. He said he was not drinking Friday night and that Artest was "being a thug."
"I don't go around breaking the law," Green said. "If they have found that I broke the law, I'll pay the price."
But Gorcyca said Green was on probation for his third offense of driving under the influence. Green's record also includes convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and check fraud, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections' database.
Pistons chief executive Tom Wilson said Green is a season-ticket holder and will be banned from The Palace.
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Find chair-tosser, get cash
AUBURN HILLS -- A $2,000 reward is being offered for information leading to a man who police say tossed a chair into a crowd during Friday's brawl at The Palace, striking several people including a police officer.
Police released a videotape Tuesday of a man they believe is responsible for throwing the chair. He is in his 20s to early 30s and wore a black leather jacket and a black beret. The video also shows him throwing a glass of liquid into the crowd before the chair incident.
"We're continuing to conduct interviews but need someone who can identify this person to come forward," said Auburn Hills Police Lt. James Manning, who added that other videos show the man detaching a chair from the floor.
"We're not aware of any serious injuries," Manning said, "but someone could have been seriously hurt."
Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said most of the physical altercations fell into the category of assault and battery (a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail).
But the chair-throwing could result in a felony charge, punishable by up to four years in prison, because it could have caused serious injury.
Anyone with information about the man who threw the chair is asked to call (888) 887-6146.
In another development, two lawsuits were filed in Oakland Circuit Court on Tuesday for two men who claim they suffered concussions and other trauma during the melee at The Palace.
The lawsuits, filed on behalf of John F. Ackerman and William Paulson, seek damages from the Indiana Pacers basketball team and, individually, from players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal. Ackerman's complaint also names The Palace as a defendant.
"We're carefully vetting the clients," said Geoffrey Fieger, whose law firm is representing the two plaintiffs and three others yet to be named. "We're not going to file a lawsuit if there is any videotape showing one of my clients throwing a punch."
Fieger speculated that Gorcyca would file criminal charges against Artest, O'Neal and Jackson and at least the fan who instigated the brawl. Gorcya is not commenting until the investigation is completed.
Ackerman, 67, of St. Clair, alleges assault and battery, negligence and "wanton and willful" misconduct against the three players. Ackerman said he was "intentionally, brutally and viciously assaulted and beaten" just before the end of the game, including being punched by O'Neal and being struck by a thrown chair, causing a concussion as he fell to the floor.
"I tried getting back to see what was remaining by the bench and that's all I remember," Ackerman said this week.
Ackerman's lawsuit said the Pacers not only failed to adequately train and supervise their players but also were negligent in "encouraging and or tolerating its basketball team members to engage in unlawful physical acts" upon the public, fans, media and opposing team, and by failing to discipline or restrain their employees.
The lawsuit also said The Palace had a duty to provide a proper and safe basketball facility including "the undertaking of the duty to protect its patrons from violence."
In the other lawsuit, Paulson, 26, a Grand Blanc real estate agent, alleges he was viciously assaulted without provocation, first by Artest and then by Jackson, causing a concussion. Watching a videotape this week at his attorney's office, Paulson described how he was prevented from fleeing the immediate area by the players.
The lawsuits, both assigned to Judge Denise Langford Morris, each seek a jury trial and are in excess of $25,000 in damages.
Also Tuesday, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that in 1988 he arrested West Bloomfield builder John Green, the man suspected of triggering the melee by throwing a cup of ice on Artest.
Bouchard, a Bloomfield Township police officer at the time, said he charged Green with attempted bribery after Green tried to get him to fix a ticket.
"He offered any home remodeling I needed done and, believe it or not, some Piston tickets. ... I was wired up by the department with a tape recorder and we arrested and convicted him for attempted bribery," Bouchard said.
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Lawyers for John Ackerman and William Paulson filed suits in Oakland County Circuit Court in Pontiac, seeking unspecified damages.
Ackerman, a 67-year-old retired auto worker, says he was hit by O'Neal and then by a chair that a fan hurled into the crowd. His suit also names Palace Sports & Entertainment Inc., which operates the Pistons' arena.
"He was knocked unconscious by the chair," said Todd Weglarz, who along with lawyer Geoffrey Fieger represents the men. "The next thing he recalls is being helped into a wheelchair."
Police released a copy of a videotape Tuesday showing a man who investigators believe threw the chair, and they asked the public to help identify him.
Fieger, a former Democratic gubernatorial candidate, is known for representing high-profile clients such as assisted-suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.
Paulson, 26, says he was punched by Jackson and assaulted by Artest. Weglarz said Paulson's family has had Pistons season tickets for about 25 years.
Paulson, who works in real estate, and Ackerman have been diagnosed with concussions from the brawl, Weglarz said.
The NBA suspended Artest for the season, Jackson for 30 games and O'Neal for 25.
Pistons spokesman Matt Dobek said the team and The Palace were aware of the lawsuits but declined comment. The Pacers did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca has said the only possible felony charge in the brawl could be against the chair-thrower. He said other charges most likely would be for misdemeanor assault and battery.
Auburn Hills police Lt. James Manning said the investigation could take two to three weeks. Investigators are reviewing videotapes and interviewing witnesses. Artest and other Pacers had not been interviewed, Manning said.
Another fan, John Green, has been identified as the one who threw a cup that hit Artest before the Indiana forward charged into the stands. Gorcyca recognized Green -- a former neighbor -- after repeatedly watching footage of the brawl.
Once Artest was in the stands, Green grabbed him from behind and sucker-punched him, the prosecutor said.
Green, a 39-year-old contractor, told reporters Monday that it may have looked like he threw the cup, but he didn't.
"I wish the whole thing didn't happen," he said. "It was awful, it was ugly."
Green's attorney, Shawn Smith, said his client became involved in the brawl only when he saw Artest hitting a smaller man. Green also said Artest kicked him in the shin "a couple of times."
"We have no comment on who threw the cup, it's irrelevant," Smith said. He said fans shouldn't throw things, "but is it a criminal offense? I don't think so."
During an appearance Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," Green described himself as a respected businessman with a wife and two children. He said he was not drinking Friday night and that Artest was "being a thug."
"I don't go around breaking the law," Green said. "If they have found that I broke the law, I'll pay the price."
But Gorcyca said Green was on probation for his third offense of driving under the influence. Green's record also includes convictions for carrying a concealed weapon and check fraud, according to the Michigan Department of Corrections' database.
Pistons chief executive Tom Wilson said Green is a season-ticket holder and will be banned from The Palace.
Text
Find chair-tosser, get cash
AUBURN HILLS -- A $2,000 reward is being offered for information leading to a man who police say tossed a chair into a crowd during Friday's brawl at The Palace, striking several people including a police officer.
Police released a videotape Tuesday of a man they believe is responsible for throwing the chair. He is in his 20s to early 30s and wore a black leather jacket and a black beret. The video also shows him throwing a glass of liquid into the crowd before the chair incident.
"We're continuing to conduct interviews but need someone who can identify this person to come forward," said Auburn Hills Police Lt. James Manning, who added that other videos show the man detaching a chair from the floor.
"We're not aware of any serious injuries," Manning said, "but someone could have been seriously hurt."
Oakland County Prosecutor David Gorcyca said most of the physical altercations fell into the category of assault and battery (a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail).
But the chair-throwing could result in a felony charge, punishable by up to four years in prison, because it could have caused serious injury.
Anyone with information about the man who threw the chair is asked to call (888) 887-6146.
In another development, two lawsuits were filed in Oakland Circuit Court on Tuesday for two men who claim they suffered concussions and other trauma during the melee at The Palace.
The lawsuits, filed on behalf of John F. Ackerman and William Paulson, seek damages from the Indiana Pacers basketball team and, individually, from players Ron Artest, Stephen Jackson and Jermaine O'Neal. Ackerman's complaint also names The Palace as a defendant.
"We're carefully vetting the clients," said Geoffrey Fieger, whose law firm is representing the two plaintiffs and three others yet to be named. "We're not going to file a lawsuit if there is any videotape showing one of my clients throwing a punch."
Fieger speculated that Gorcyca would file criminal charges against Artest, O'Neal and Jackson and at least the fan who instigated the brawl. Gorcya is not commenting until the investigation is completed.
Ackerman, 67, of St. Clair, alleges assault and battery, negligence and "wanton and willful" misconduct against the three players. Ackerman said he was "intentionally, brutally and viciously assaulted and beaten" just before the end of the game, including being punched by O'Neal and being struck by a thrown chair, causing a concussion as he fell to the floor.
"I tried getting back to see what was remaining by the bench and that's all I remember," Ackerman said this week.
Ackerman's lawsuit said the Pacers not only failed to adequately train and supervise their players but also were negligent in "encouraging and or tolerating its basketball team members to engage in unlawful physical acts" upon the public, fans, media and opposing team, and by failing to discipline or restrain their employees.
The lawsuit also said The Palace had a duty to provide a proper and safe basketball facility including "the undertaking of the duty to protect its patrons from violence."
In the other lawsuit, Paulson, 26, a Grand Blanc real estate agent, alleges he was viciously assaulted without provocation, first by Artest and then by Jackson, causing a concussion. Watching a videotape this week at his attorney's office, Paulson described how he was prevented from fleeing the immediate area by the players.
The lawsuits, both assigned to Judge Denise Langford Morris, each seek a jury trial and are in excess of $25,000 in damages.
Also Tuesday, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that in 1988 he arrested West Bloomfield builder John Green, the man suspected of triggering the melee by throwing a cup of ice on Artest.
Bouchard, a Bloomfield Township police officer at the time, said he charged Green with attempted bribery after Green tried to get him to fix a ticket.
"He offered any home remodeling I needed done and, believe it or not, some Piston tickets. ... I was wired up by the department with a tape recorder and we arrested and convicted him for attempted bribery," Bouchard said.
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