Bennett alleges police brutality in Vegas incident

LOS ANGELES -- Seattle Seahawks star Michael Bennett on Wednesday accused police in Las Vegas of racism and excessive force after a gunpoint confrontation following the recent Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor fight.

In a post on Twitter titled "Equality", Bennett detailed how he was detained by police following the August 26 fight as a crowd scattered after hearing what was feared to be gunshots.

Bennett, who has spoken out in support of former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick's anthem protests over police brutality, said he was targeted by law enforcement because of his ethnicity.

"Like many of the people in the area I ran away from the sound, looking for safety," Bennett wrote.

"Las Vegas police 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 said that after obeying an instruction by a police officer to get on the ground, the same officer "placed his gun near my head and and warned me that if I moved he would 'blow my f*cking head off'".

"Terrified and confused by what was taking place, a second officer came over and forcefully jammed his knee into my back making it difficult for me to breathe," he added. "They then cinched handcuffs on my wrists so tight that my fingers went numb."

Las Vegas police said the incident was under investigation and appealed to "reserve judgement" on the case."

- 'I'm going to die' -

Bennett went on to state he had feared death during the incident.

"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," Bennett wrote.

He said he was later released after officers "apparently realized I was not a thug, common criminal or ordinary black man but Michael Bennett, a famous professional football player."

Bennett said the incident made him even more determined to sit during renditions of the national anthem, "because equality doesn't live in this country."

Speaking to reporters at the Seahawks training facility later Wednesday, Bennett described the incident as a "traumatic experience."

"It sucks that the country we live in now sometimes you get profiled for the color of your skin," he told reporters.

"It's a tough situation for me. Do I think every police officer is bad? No, I don't believe that. Do I believe that there's some people out there that are judging people on the color of their skin? I do believe that."

Bennett said he had retained a lawyer with a view to launching civil litigation.

Meanwhile Seahawks coach Pete Carroll described the case as all too typical.

"What happened with Michael is a classic illustration of the reality of inequalities that are demonstrated daily," Carroll said.

"May this incident inspired 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."

Bennett also drew words of support from the NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

"Michael Bennett represents the best of the NFL -- a leader on his team and in his community," Goodell said.

"The issues Michael has been raising deserve serious attention from all of our leaders in every community," Goodell added in a statement.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Seahawks' Bennett sits out national anthem to protest Virginia violence

Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett remained seated during the playing of the U.S. national anthem before a pre-season National Football League game to protest deadly violence at a white supremacist rally in Virginia over the weekend, his team said.

With his gesture on Sunday, the 31-year-old defensive end became the latest NFL player to use the playing of the Star Spangled Banner anthem as a protest forum.

Last season, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick grabbed the media spotlight when he refused to stand for the anthem, saying he was protesting police brutality and social inequality. Kaepernick opted out of his contract in March and has not been signed by another team.

Bennett remained on the bench with a towel over his head before Sunday's game with the Los Angeles Chargers at Southern California's StubHub Stadium, the pre-season opener for both teams. He said he would keep up the protest all season.

"With everything that's been going on the last couple of months, and especially after the last couple of days seeing what's going on in Virginia, and earlier today in Seattle, I just wanted to be able to use my platform to be able to continuously speak on injustice," Bennett said in a story on the Seahawks' website.

In Charlottesville, Virginia, on Saturday, a woman was killed and 19 hurt when a car plowed into counter-protesters near a white nationalist rally. James Fields, 20, who had Nazi sympathies as a teenager, according to acquaintances, has been charged with second-degree murder in the incident.

The violence sparked protests and vigils in cities across the United States on Sunday, including Seattle, where clashes occurred between supporters and opponents of President Donald Trump.

The president raised a furor when he initially failed to explicitly single out the white supremacists widely seen as sparking the melee, saying "many sides" were involved, although he was more explicit in his criticism in a statement on Monday.

Bennett said he was not anti-military or anti-American but opposed intolerance and injustice. He said he expected to face criticism over his decision, adding, "This is bigger than football."

A spokesman for the team did not respond to a request for comment.

On Saturday, Oakland Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch also sat during the national anthem before a game against the Arizona Cardinals. But Oakland's head coach, Jack del Rio, quoted Lynch at a postgame news conference as saying sitting out the anthem had no significance in his case and was simply something he had done for the past 11 years.

(Reporting by Ian Simpson in Washington; Editing by Frank McGurty and Tom Brown)

source: news.abs-cbn.com