Charles Oakley banned from Madison Square Garden after arrest at Knicks game

Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan says Charles Oakley has been banned from the arena, though not necessarily forever.

In an interview Friday with ESPN Radio’s Michael Kay, Dolan also confirmed a report that he had fired the Garden’s security chief, two nights after Oakley was forcefully removed from his seat and arrested at a Knicks game. Dolan says the firing of the security head stemmed from more than just the handling of the Oakley incident.

Dolan says that games must remain safe for fans, and for that reason, “We are going to put the ban in place and hopefully it won’t be forever.”

The Knicks distributed a witness report earlier Friday featuring more than a dozen witnesses from throughout the arena who described what the Knicks have called Oakley’s “abusive” behavior.