Former NBA Guard Demetrius Jackson Charged With Battery at Marian Practice

The St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office filed two preliminary misdemeanor battery charges against Demetrius Jackson on March 30, stemming from an alleged altercation during a Marian High School boys basketball practice on March 10. The charges, battery and battery resulting in bodily injury, were filed after the Mishawaka Police Department completed its investigation and forwarded the full evidentiary packet to prosecutors. Both Brandon Foster, an 18-year-old current Marian player, and his father, assistant coach Brian Foster, are listed as alleged victims.

In Indiana, a preliminary charge means the prosecutor has determined there is sufficient probable cause to formally open a criminal case in St. Joseph County Superior Court. The filing initiates the criminal process but does not constitute a conviction; Jackson can expect an arraignment, pre-trial hearings, and potential review of additional investigatory materials before the case reaches resolution.

According to the court summary and statements from investigators, security video captured Jackson headbutting Brandon Foster and grabbing him by the neck during the practice session. When Brian Foster stepped in to intervene, Jackson allegedly headbutted and shoved him as well. Mishawaka investigators reviewed that footage and described it as central to the battery complaint. Multiple coaches who spoke with police said they had "never seen conduct like Mr. Jackson's on the court before" across their combined decades of experience.

Jackson told a detective that coaches had instructed him to play more physically to prepare the team for an upcoming game and that players had been giving him cheap shots throughout the session. Investigators said those claims were directly contradicted by statements from the coaching staff and by what the security video showed.

The incident set off a chain of institutional consequences for the program. Marian self-reported an IHSAA rule violation for allowing a non-rostered individual to participate in practice, and then-head coach Robb Berger was suspended for a playoff game as a result. The school subsequently terminated Berger's employment. Berger has publicly stated he was not directly involved in the physical altercation and has disputed aspects of how the school handled the situation. Principal Mark Freund sent an email to Marian parents noting that the head basketball coach bears responsibility for practice conduct, IHSAA compliance, and maintaining a safe environment. Marian's broader formal public statements have been brief; Notre Dame has not issued any public comment on the matter.

The case carries particular weight in the Michiana community because of who Jackson is to the program. He graduated from Marian in 2013, played at Notre Dame, and had NBA appearances before a brief professional career. In 2019, he donated funds to install a new gym floor at his alma mater, and the school named it the Demetrius Jackson Court. It is that same floor where the alleged battery took place.

The case now sits with prosecutors as it moves through the county's standard misdemeanor adjudication process. Marian, the IHSAA, and high school programs across the region may face renewed scrutiny over guest participation protocols and the supervision standards required when non-rostered individuals are permitted at practices.