No Charge For Coach Knight

Authorities refused to file charges against Bob Knight for a restaurant confrontation and he still had harsh words for the prosecutor.

The Indiana basketball coach had been accused of making a racist remark and choking a customer in a parking lot last week, but the prosecutor said Knight appeared to have been provoked.

"Based on the facts I have, including the medical records, my decision is not to file charges against Mr. Knight or Mr. Foster," Carl Salzmann said at a news conference Wednesday.

At his own news conference an hour later, Knight criticized Salzmann for letting the case drag on nine days.

"I told the prosecutor if the Monroe County prosecutor's office investigated Charles Manson, it still would be undecided," Knight said.

Chris Foster, a 38-year-old Bloomington guitar-maker, had accused Knight of making a racist remark while the two dined separately at a restaurant in nearby Ellettsville on June 7. He said the coach started screaming at him and grabbed him by the neck when the two went outside afterward.

Salzmann, however, said the evidence did not support Foster's story. Knight said had consulted other law enforcement officials about the case.

"Without exception, these things are either immediately thrown out or resolved in two days. ... I'd like to refer to this whole thing as a real Mickey Mouse operation, but that would be an insult to Mickey Mouse," the coach said.

Knight, whose temper is notorious in college basketball, said he did not consider himself a victim "a target maybe." He said his wife and her two sisters, who were with him at the restaurant, were victims.

Knight's wife, Karen, also spoke at the news conference and supported her husband's story.

"Karen has been unbelievably good for me," Knight said. "But the other night, Monday night, after the second postponement (of a decision by the prosecutor) she said, 'You know, if you're ready to quit, I'm ready to go.' I've never heard anything like that from her before."

Knight gave no indication during the news conference he ever considered resigning. He left without taking questions.

State police Sgt. J.D. Maxwell spoke at Knight's news conference and said witnesses confirmed no profanity or racial slurs coming from Knight's table. He said they heard Knight talking about the old Negro baseball leagues.

"The conversation was not racist. He said those players were cheated by not going into the league white players were in. The main thing is, without a doubt, there was no profanity, no racial slurs. As sure as there's a God in heaven, I know Bob Knight is not a racist," Maxwell said.

Salzmann said Foster, who is white, initiated the confrontation and his actions are in the "realm of provocation."

Salzmann said he would not charge Foster because of the matter is relatively minor. He said Foster was not choked although Knight apparently grabbed him by the collar.

"The location of the injury, the report from emergency medical personnel at the hospital, the fact there was no opposing thumbprint ... given the totality of circumstances, this office will not be filing charges," Salzmann said.

Another restaurant witness, whom the prosecutor did not identify, said Knight was not overly loud, was not cursing and "certainly wasn't racist," Salzmann said.

Foster gave a statement to police earlier Wednesday, but his dinner companion, Joseph Rheinhardt, refused to give one, Salzmann said.

Foster's lawyer, Kevin McGoff, said his client was relieved not to be charged. McGoff said his client did not agree with the characterization that he provoked Knight. Foster scheduled a news conference Thursday in Indianapolis.

More from CBS News