Former Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett recently turned himself in and posted a $10,000 bond after reports surfaced of him being charged with a felony assault of a disabled person in an incident that happened 15 months ago.
The story behind Bennett’s charges are so bizarre, it has caused people to speculate if Bennett is being set up.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett surrendered to authorities in Houston on a charge that he injured a paraplegic woman as he tried to get onto the field after last year’s Super Bowl to celebrate with his brother. (Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle via AP)
According to Yahoo Sports, Bennett could face up to 10 years in jail, along with a $10,000 fine for allegedly bumping into and injuring a 66-year old paraplegic woman who worked as a security guard for Super Bowl LI in Houston, Texas back in February 2017.
Bennett was on the New England Patriots’ sideline supporting his brother, Martellus Bennett, who played tight end for the Patriots that season. When the Patriots pulled off a 25-point comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl, Bennett apparently ran onto the field in excitement (as championship victors traditionally do) to celebrate with his brother. That’s where eye witnesses claim Bennet made contact with three different people, including the elderly disabled security guard.
Bennett’s attorney Rusty Hardin told Yahoo Sports that his client never touched the paraplegic woman.
“He did not touch her,” Hardin said. “The Houston police chief does not have the full picture. The district attorney does not have the full picture. And the grand jury did not have the full picture. People will see that. And they’ll see the assault charge never should have been filed.”
But even if Bennett did make contact with the security guard, people are wondering why would the police charge someone with a felony for accidentally bumping into another person? Why should someone face up to a decade in jail for seemingly incidental contact? And if the crime was so egregious, why would Houston Police wait so long to bring charges?
Some conspiracy-minded folks are speculating that Bennett is being targeted by police because of how vocal he has been about police brutality. Bennett was one of the many NFL players who repeatedly kneeled during the anthem. In addition, he made headlines last August after accusing a Las Vegas Police officer of wrongfully targeting him during an active shooting incident. Bennett claimed a Vegas police officer pointed a gun at him, though the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department denied the claim.
According to Yahoo Sports, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo described Bennett during a press conference last week as “morally corrupt” and “morally bankrupt.” Those are strong words for someone who may have merely made incidental contact with a disabled person. It’s no wonder some people think the police simply have an axe to grind with Bennett.
