WEST SACRAMENTO CA (IFS) -- After reading the statements below from both , the Las Vegas Police Association and the NFL Police Reports.
However, I do agree with one thing about this. Mr. Bennett did "make accusations against the officers". He mistakenly called him (them) 'SIR' several times over. Las Vegas is not lost on prejudice police.
It appears, the police wanted Mr. Bennett to stand there in "Harms ways" and NOT RUN FOR COVER? WOW!! What cruel policing tactics? What page is their police department on? Like that Police Officer said back down South, ". . .we only kill black people."
It's obvious that the fruit of hatred and murder is that it will always be fuel for a constant supply of young and old black men, women, brown people and the crazy police that continues to drop the ball all over this country.
It was the Police that enforced the JIM CROW LAWS for years. But, we are to forgive and forget? I don't think so. And Silently them still do use it to intimidate with fear of any person of color.
You judged and killed right there and their excuse is always the same. I FEARED FOR MY LIFE. Get another job. . . that don't involve people.
This is the last bastion of the OLD WHITE MAN'S WORLD AND WE WILL RULE by any means necessary." This saddest thing about all of this, the cops managed to defame a Star NFL Player with lots of money, and that's makes Mr. Bennett very dangerous.
This is a road that is going to get ugly. Total exposure of the "nest" of officers who refuses to activate their body cameras when arresting people of color.
'. . . I'LL BLOW YOUR HEAD OFF. . . one Las Vegas police officer is caught on one of the body cameras, when Mr. Bennett is face down on the concrete. Why did this officer scream that at Mr. Bennett?
At this point, you better believe its time to "plant" a weapon on Mr. Bennett, because the cops must have an answer, even when they PROFILED HIM as he was running for cover, as did many other citizens. They just picked him out of the crowd and said -- YOU'RE IT!
Mr. Bennett, you sir have many friends and concerns citizens. I am sure that "green energy" will not be a problem to fight these wrongs.-KHS
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LAS VEGAS - The president of the Las Vegas police union Thursday accused Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett of making false accusations against the officers who
arrested him at gunpoint during an August incident and asked that the NFL commissioner launch an investigation.
In a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Las Vegas police union president Steve Grammas wrote that Bennett's description of his arrest Aug. 27 after the Mayweather-McGregor fight is "false and defamatory."
Bennett described the arrest in an open letter posted Wednesday. He said Las Vegas police who were responding to a false alarm about a shooting ordered him to the ground at gunpoint, handcuffed him, assaulted him and threatened to shoot him in the head. Bennett says he was unarmed, sober and returning to his hotel after the fight when the arrest happened.
"Las Vegas officers singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time," Bennett wrote in his open letter, adding that he was running from the area, like everyone else around him, after hearing what they thought were gunshots.
But Grammas, in his letter to Goodell, wrote that Bennett was acting suspiciously and that officers were justified in detaining him as they responded to the report of gunshots. He wrote that Bennett was "hiding behind a slot machine," then bolted out of the casino, leaped over a barrier wall and "hid from officers as he crouched close to a wall."
He said the officers therefore had reasonable suspicion to detain Bennett to see if he had any connection to the shooting. Las Vegas Undersheriff Kevin McMahill gave a similar description of the incident during a Wednesday night press conference.
"On behalf of the rank and file members of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, I request that you conduct an investigation, and take appropriate action, into Michael Bennett's obvious false accusations our police officers," Grammas wrote to Goodell.
Bennett has been one of the most vocal players in the NFL about the protests started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, which began in opposition to the unequal treatment of minorities by law enforcement. He has recently remained seated during the national anthem before Seahawks games.
In his letter to Goodell, the police union president wrote, "While the NFL may condone Bennett's disrespect for our American flag, and everything it symbolizes, we hope the league will not ignore Bennett's false accusations."
Goodell has not responded to Grammas' letter. But he earlier released a statement saying, "Michael Bennett represents the best of the NFL - a leader on his team and in his community. ... The issues Michael has been raising deserve serious attention from all our leaders in every community. We will support Michael and all NFL players in promoting mutual respect between law enforcement and the communities they loyally serve and fair and equal treatment under the law."
Bennett has retained attorney John Burris and is exploring his options, including the possible filing of a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Las Vegas.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Burris said, "We think there was an unlawful detention and the use of excessive force, with a gun put to (Bennett's) head. He was just in the crowd. He doesn't drink or do drugs. He wasn't in a fight. He wasn't resisting. He did nothing more or less than anyone in the crowd."
Seattle Seahawks defensive end
Michael Bennett is considering filing a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. for allegedly using excessive force on him as they investigated an incident at a casino last month.
In a statement posted to Twitter on Wednesday morning, Bennett described the chaotic situation he was involved in on the way back to his hotel early on the morning of Sunday, Aug. 27 following the Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight. He said police singled him out among a group of people who were fleeing away from what sounded like gunshots. Bennett said a police officer ordered him to the ground, pointed a gun at his head and told him not to move or he would "blow my [expletive] head off." Bennett said a second officer forcefully jammed his knee into his back, making it difficult for him to breathe, before handcuffing him and eventually putting him in the back of a police car.
"I felt helpless as I lay there on the ground handcuffed facing the real-life threat of being killed," Bennett wrote. "All I could think of was 'I'm going to die for no other reason than I am black and my skin color is somehow a threat.' My life flashed before my eyes as I thought of my girls. Would I ever play with them again? Or watch them have kids? Or be able to kiss my wife again and tell her I love her? I kept asking the officers 'What did I do?' and reminding them that I had rights they were duty bound to respect. The officers ignored my pleas and instead told me to shut up and then took me to the back of a nearby police car where I sat for what felt like an eternity until they apparently realized I was not a thug, common criminal or ordinary black man but
Michael Bennett a famous professional football player."
Bennett was not arrested or charged in the matter.
Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Kevin McMahill, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. undersheriff, said officers were responding to a call of an active shooter in a nightclub at The Cromwell Hotel and Casino when they encountered Bennett amid large groups of people running for cover and hiding in the casino. Officers later determined no shooting occurred.
"As they moved toward the nightclub, an individual later identified as Bennett was seen crouched down behind a gaming machine as the officers approached," McMahill said. "Once Bennett was in the officers' view, he quickly ran out of the south doors, jumped over a wall onto Flamingo Road east of Las Vegas Blvd. into traffic. Due to Bennett's actions and the information the officers had at the time, they believed Bennett may have been involved in the shooting and they gave chase. Bennett was placed into handcuffs and detained while officers determined whether or not he was involved in the original incident. He was detained for approximately 10 minutes and released. Mr. Bennett, at the scene, had the incident explained to him by a supervisor and he said that he understood and that he had no problem with what the officers did, just the one that he claimed the officer had pointed a gun at his head."
McMahill said the arresting officer did not have his bodycamera turned on at the time of Bennett's detainment. He confirmed the department has opened an internal affairs investigation and asked for Bennett and his legal counsel to provide the department with a formal statement. McMahill also denied that officers singled out Bennett because of his race.
"I can tell you as I stand here today that I see no evidence of that. I see no evidence that race played any role in this incident," McMahill said. "While officers were searching the casino, they were able to safely evacuate many patrons of all races."
Speaking to reporters Wednesday,
Bennett called the matter "a traumatic experience for me and my family."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell issued a message of support for Bennett:
"
Michael Bennett represents the best of the NFL -- a leader on his team and in his community. Our foremost concern is the welfare of Michael and his family. Whille we understand the Las Vegas police department will address this later this evening, the issues Michael has been raising deserve serious attention from all of our leaders in every community. We will support Michael and all NFL players in promoting mutual respect between law enforcement and the communities they loyally serve and fair and equal treatment under law."
Seahawks coach Pete Carroll also supported Bennett when he spoke with reporters Wednesday.
"What happened with Michael is a classic illustration of the reality of inequalities that are demonstrated daily," Carroll said. "May this incident inspire all of us to respond with compassion when inequalities are brought to light and allow us to have the courage to stand for change. We can do better than this."
The incident occurred nearly two weeks after Bennett first sat during the national anthem before a preseason game against the
Los Angeles Rams to raise awareness to racism and violence in the wake of the events in Charlottesville, Virginia. Bennett said he plans to sit during the anthem all season.
"This fact is unequivocally, without question why before every game, I sit during the national anthem -- because equality doesn't live in this country and no matter how much money you make, what job title you have, or how much you give, when you are seen as a 'N-----,' you will be treated that way," Bennett wrote. "The system failed me. I can only imagine what Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Charleena Lyles felt."
