http://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/3941027/detail.html Attorney Says Players Cannot Take Law Into Own Hands POSTED: 6:35 pm EST November 22, 2004 UPDATED: 12:10 am EST November 23, 2004 Two fans filed suit against Pacers players Monday after they claim they were attacked during the brawl at The Palace on Friday night. Ron Artess, Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and the Pacers' organization were named in the lawsuits, Local 4 reported. The Palace may be included at a later date, according to the station's reports. Bill Paulson said he was punched in the head and neck when Pacers' player Stephen Jackson followed Ron Artest into the stands. "If you'll notice, I'm trying to get away and he's still hurting me and, in fact, I didn't realize until after I saw the replay that he's still coming after me. He's being held back by other people," said Paulson. The fight started when Artest was struck by a cup thrown from the stands. Artest charged into the stands, throwing punches as he climbed over seats. Paulson said Artest started punching his friend. "When he was held down by his arm, Ron Artest had his fist cocked, saying, 'Did you throw it? Did you throw it?'" Paulson said. Videotape of the brawl apparently shows Paulson reacting by throwing his beer at Artest. That's when Jackson appears to go after Paulson, Local 4 reported. Paulson's attorney, Todd Weglarz, said the players' actions were wrong. "Legally, you cannot take the law into your own hands after you had a beer dumped on you ... start assaulting people who you think hit you until you found the right one," Weglarz said. Weglarz is also representing John Ackerman, 67, who said he was hit by a chair thrown from the stands and punched in the head by Pacers' player Jermaine O'Neal. "What happened to me should never happen to anybody," Ackerman said. As the Pacers were being escorted off the court, Ackerman said he was hit in the head. He told Local 4 that he did not realize what had happened until he saw videotape of the fight. "I was running through that series of videos and I watched the chair come down and I wondered why I had a real sore spot," Ackerman said. Weglarz said Ackerman was also hit in the head by O'Neal. "People who were sitting around him and who were with him during the game all said that he was sucker-punched and was attacked by Mr. Jermaine O'Neal," Weglarz said. Ackerman said he was not a part of the fight and did not throw anything at the players. The dollar amount of the lawsuits was not released. Pacers Coach: Suspensions 'Very, Very Tough Penalty' Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said the three suspensions stemming from Friday's brawl at the end of a game against the Detroit Pistons are a very, very tough penalty and a very tough pill to swallow. Carlisle hopes that a closer look at the players as people and their community involvement would result in the suspensions' being reduced. Team CEO Donnie Walsh said the brawl was a low point in sports, but that the Pacers intend to compete and win at a high level. He apologized for the team during a Monday afternoon news conference. Walsh said he's not sure whether the Pacers can appeal NBA Commissioner David Stern's ruling. But Larry Bird, Pacers president of basketball operations, said the team would do what it could to get Ron Artest back in uniform as quickly as possible. Bird said the team fully supports Artest, calling him one of the top 10 players in the NBA. Stern suspended Artest for the rest of the season and announced suspensions Sunday for eight other players involved in the melee. Artest apologized on Sunday. He said he respected Stern, but he called the suspension unfair. "It is very important to me that people understand that I didn't mean for the situation to turn out like it did," Artest said in a statement. Billy Hunter, head of the NBA players' union, said there will be an appeal challenging the suspensions of all nine players.
whoooaa there carlisle.... stop while you're ahead. you wouldn't want the punishment for artest suddenly upgraded to banishment from the league, would you?
Police are currently trying to identify those fans in the tape and will be filing charges if and/when they are identified.
no, there would be a consequence. BAD KHARMA!!! I like this quote- what they mean is, "He didn't realize that he was hurt enough to sue--until he saw that there was evidence." here we go again.
Paulson will get nothing. He threw a cup of water at Artest to piss him off, just like the first fan, not to defend his friend. IMO, the only fan that should get anything is the one that O'Neal clocked, and deservedly so. That fan should also be barred from the arena in the future.
If I were the Pacers players I would counter suite for throwing all that crap at them while they were going into the tunnel. Those fans were dumbasses and those 2 fans that came onto the court deserved what they got. That was some funny stuff to see J. O'Neal bust that dude in the grill. I agree Artest shouldn't have gone into the stands but you can only take so much. Fans don't have the right to act like that either so both parties should be punished. Those fans should be banned for life from attending Pistons home games. Also, Ben Wallace should be suspended for longer b/c he caused the whole thing by retaliating for a foul that wasn't that bad...Nachbar was fouled 10times worse than that by Karla in the playoffs, Wallace is a big strong dude and shouldn't be crying over a small foul like that.
I getting confused with the names of the fans. Which one is Paulson? The guy with the white hat that threw the cup or the guy that Artest initially attacked. Maybe someone can fill in the blanks for me: Guy with white hat who threw the cup - Guy Artest mistakenly attacked - Guy Stephen Jackson hit in stands - Guy on the court that O'neal punched - Charles Hadad Guy on the court that Artest attacked - Out of all these guys, I think Charles Hadad, the guy Artest mistakenly attacked and the guy Stephen Jackson punched should get something out of this. Charles Hadad should also get charges brought against him.
Throwing a cup of water or beer does not equal a punch in the face..... There are degrees of assault and the players had no right to escalate it. I hope they pay dearly. DD
True but I also think it's understandable for someone to throw punches if a complete stranger throws beer at them. I wouldn't applaud someone for that action but I can understand it.
"Legally, you cannot take the law into your own hands after you had a beer dumped on you ... start assaulting people who you think hit you until you found the right one," Weglarz said. I believe the argument here is that even if the guy did splash beer in Artest's face, that doesn't suddenly allow Jackson to cold-**** him. He should have let security deal with it. His retaliation or "defense" was way overboard to a splashed drink. Any jury will see that too. As for Paulson, I think the drink-in-the-face of Artest was his pathetic attempt at defending the guy Artest was attacking. It was a stupid move that just incited more violence, but I think he was simply too afraid to try to physically restrain Artest, so he threw a drink instead. Artest can countersue and get whatever damages he has coming to him for getting a drink thrown in his face. He might be able to sue for the cheap shots Green took at him. I get the feeling that the juries will be much more sympathetic to the fans than they will be to the players. Artest and Jackson escalated the confrontation another notch by charging the stands. How much funnier would it have been if Artest calmly walked into the stands inquiring of everyone who threw that drink. And, once he found him, then layed him out.
Nah.... Throwing punches over spilt beer, just seems.. i dunno alittle too extreme.. A small shove should've sufficed. I don't know, the punching seemed to me.. to be more of a delayed result of the Ben Wallace neck shove. I mean really.. who, in a calm state of mind quickly turns to charging like a rhino and punching when thrown a not even half full cup of beer?
So, I can throw beer in your grill, and as long as you respond by throwing a punch at me, then I am okay?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Stupid THE FANS HAD NO RIGHT TO ESCALATE IT EITHER! NOBODY IN THIS MESS HAD ANY RIGHT TO ESCALATE ANYTHING! THEY SHOULD ALL GO TO JAIL, PAY FINES, LOSE TIME FROM WORK, ETC., PLAYERS AND FANS ALIKE BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL ACTING LIKE NEANDRATHALS INSTEAD OF CIVILIZED HUMANS! What is wrong with our society that we want to find one single person and place the fault on them? Ben Wallace is mostly at fault, if he had not over reacted in the first place, none of this would have happened. No, Ron Artest is at fault, because if he had not fouled Wallace, then none of this would have happened would it? No, Wallace is at fault, because he shoved Artest into the goal stand earlier in the game. No, Wallaces mother is at fault for raising him. Come on man. The fans throwing stuff were totally out of line. They deserve to have the book thrown at them THE SAME WAY IT WAS THROWN AT ARTEST! The fan that sues Artest and wins because Artest attacked him should collect his money from John Green after Artest sues him and wins. One wrong act does not justify a lesser wrong act. One wrong act does not justify committing another wrong act. One wrong act does not justify committing a greater wrong act. All wrong acts should be punished.
I have to disagree on this, clearly you have to think about this: What if a person threw a cup of beer or water at you and who the hell knows if this person has some sort of desease? The law is the law, throwing an object at a person with the intent to harm or force result is assault. The fans started this fight.
Everytime i hear this "Artest throwing punches" stuff i feel like puking. artest didn't throw any punches in the stands.
If this incident happened in the street between average citizens, no charges would ever be filed. Someone throwing a beer or object into another person's face and then a fight breaking out is a regular occurence in trashy bars and clubs, etc. The only reason lawsuits or charges are being filed is because people are jealous of these players' wealth.
