Posted on 10/06/2006 9:43:43 AM PDT by BJClinton
INDIANAPOLIS - Stephen Jackson of the Indiana Pacers was slugged in the mouth, struck by a car and fired a gun in the air in self-defense outside a strip club early Friday, police said.
Jackson was limping but refused medical treatment at the scene, police spokesman Sgt. Matthew Mount said. Jackson conferred with a team trainer and sought treatment at a hospital.
Officers found a small amount of marijuana in the passenger side door of Pacer point guard Jamaal Tinsley's car, police said. Officers could not determine the car's driver or to whom the marijuana belonged, so no arrests were made.
There were no reports of anyone hit by gunfire. Police were looking for the car that struck Jackson, and others involved. Jackson was at the Indianapolis club with teammates Tinsley, Marquis Daniels and Jimmie Hunter, police said.
Jackson told officers he fired his 9 mm pistol five times after he was hit in the mouth and tossed on the hood of the car, Mount said.
Coach Rick Carlisle declined comment Friday, and calls by The Associated Press to team president Larry Bird and chief executive Donnie Walsh weren't immediately returned. A message was left with Jackson's agent, Dan Fegan.
The Pacers said Friday that all involved are cooperating with police, and none of the players at the strip club would be available to the media after practice Friday.
"Since this is an ongoing review of the matters that took place Friday morning, the Pacers will have no further comment at this time," the team said in a statement.
The mayhem began with an argument inside Club Rio involving patrons and players, Mount said. The players said they left the club, but the patrons followed them.
"At some point when leaving the club, a verbal altercation ensued ... that turned into a physical altercation," Mount said.
Tinsley and Daniels also had guns in their cars, and all three armed players had weapons permits, Mount said, although Daniels' permit was issued by Florida.
The strip club's managers told police that professional athletes sometimes come to the club.
"They don't have a lot of problems there," Mount said.
Jackson was suspended 30 games for his role in a brawl with Detroit Pistons fans at Auburn Hills, Mich., two seasons ago. Last season, he repeatedly argued with officials and his coach, and was singled out by Bird for his negative attitude.
Jackson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault charges related to Auburn Hills and was sentenced in September 2005 to a year's probation and community service.
Bird said in May his players must shape up or play elsewhere next season. He said he was through dealing with what he said were bad attitudes, selfishness and laziness.
"They're the ones that have to make the changes," he said at the time. "If they can't make the changes, yes, we have to look to move them."
Jackson, a 28-year-old guard, joined the Pacers in 2004 and averaged 16 points during the 2005-06 season.
During a recent news conference, he hugged Carlisle and sat by his side to answer questions — a gesture the Pacers hoped would symbolize improved team chemistry. That happened a day after Carlisle signed a contract extension and was given the title of executive vice president of basketball operations.
Got it.
Actually ----- sweet.
Did he hit the club with the bullet? ;-P
Where ARE the editors these days?
Editing takes skill. These days reporting is about making a difference.
Well stupid I don't know but I've seen Jackson with the Hawks and you can't be that good and stupid.
Intelligence shows up in several areas, sports and music being two. So he may be ignorant but he certainly isn't stupid.
And as Larry Bird says, he may also have a bad attitude. Tinsley's a good guy.
Momma said "stupid is as stupid does" ;-)
Could it be special treatment for athletes? Of two sets of laws - one for them and one for the rest of us? I recall a case where a small amount of pot was found in a teenager's car and he lost the car.
AC Green is an example of someone without a rap sheet. However, I'm not sure if he is still active.
I am SO tired of the tabloid crap surrounding ALL pro sports! Which is why I have paid attention to no other sport than horseracing since 1980. The only scandals you find there are the occasional race-fixing (always in harness races) and occasional substance-abuse by jockeys who MUST keep their weight down. When you come down to it, jockeys are the true athletes, they face life and death whenever they get on a horse, and are moral and ethical ANGELS compared to these decadent clowns in (mostly) basketball and baseball.
Yeah, no doubt. I was thinking, 'What did that strip club ever do to him?'
A small amount of pot was found in a basketball player's car, and people phoned in with the message "so little???Here, let me send you a proper stash!"
John Stockton retired years ago.
There have been relatively few scandals among golfers, NASCAR drivers, and hockey players in comparison to basketball, football, baseball, cycling, and international soccer.
And he missed! He can't hit the broad side of a strip club.
A star after soccer - seems many of the violence is by fans or hoodlums, such as the relatives of players being kidnapped in Brazil, the bombs set off, the riots, etc.
There's a reason they call it "dope."
fl will issue licenses to anyone who meets requirements just about anywhere.
Is there an NBA ping list, if so, I would like to be on it.
"There have been relatively few scandals among golfers, NASCAR drivers, and hockey players in comparison to basketball, football, baseball, cycling, and international soccer."
- The drug of choice for hockey players has always been booze - especially lots and lots of beer. It's a sort of cultural thing that sometimes leads to bar fights plus the odd player who winds up an alcoholic but since booze is legal, they rarely wind up in court.
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