After The Malice at the Palace: Where Are They Now?
By Ben Gibson
John Green, Alvin Shackleford, Charlie Haddad, and Bryant Jackson
John Green was the fan who threw a Diet Coke at Ron Artest, in the process tossing gasoline on a smoldering flame and sending the Palace into near riot conditions. Green would be charged and found guilty of assault and battery for hitting Artest in the stands, and acquitted of the assault charge for throwing the cup. He was sentenced to 30 days in jail and given two years probation. The NBA banned Green from attending Pistons home games.
Alvin Shackleford and Charlie Haddad went on the court as the fight broke out. Both fans were initially knocked down by Artest, and then Haddad was on the receiving end of Jermaine O’Neal’s punch. They were charged with trespassing and, like other fans involved in the Malice at the Palace, were banned from attending Pistions games in the future. Haddad filed a civil suit against Anthony Johnson, O’Neal, and the Pacers. O’Neal would end up paying $1,687 in restitution to Haddad. Haddad pled no contest to a local trespassing ordinance and was sentenced to two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service, and 10 straight weekends in a county work program according to Grantland’s oral history of the night.
Bryant Jackson, who threw a chair into the melee, received two years of probation.
While there isn’t much information on where those fans are now, we know at one point Green and Artest befriended each other and spoke about the incident.
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