None of this makes any sense.
APR 5,
2018, 8:00 AM
This week, NFL star Michael
Bennett released a book, Things
That Make White People Uncomfortable. Yet for a top athlete, there has
been relatively little publicity this week for the memoir’s launch. That’s
largely because all of his publicity events were canceled after he was indicted
on a felony elder abuse charge in Houston, Texas.
Though Bennett — a former
Super Bowl-champion defensive end with the Seattle Seahawks who was traded to
the Philadelphia Eagles during this offseason — is a supremely talented
football player, he is perhaps best known these days for his outspoken activism
against racism and police brutality. Both subjects are addressed extensively in
his book.
But last month, Bennett’s
efforts took an unexpected turn when he was indicted on felony abuse charges
for allegedly pushing a 66-year-old paraplegic security worker while he was
rushing onto the field at NRG Stadium in Houston to celebrate his brother’s
Super Bowl victory with the New England Patriots on February 5, 2017. In
a bizarre,
over-the-top press conference, Houston Police Department Chief Art Acevedo
addressed the indictment by calling Bennett “morally corrupt” and “morally
bankrupt.”
“It’s very offensive to me
that a man who is supposed to be an example, a professional athlete, would
think it’s okay to treat people like this,” Acevedo said.
Bennett, who unequivocally denies
the charges, faces up to 10 years in prison if he’s convicted. Ten. Years.
It turns out, you don’t need
to read his book to be left feeling uncomfortable (though, by all means, read
the book). A closer look at the case against Bennett — and the odd timing of
the investigation and the charges — is enough to make anyone uneasy. Right now,
there are far more questions than answers.
Wait, what exactly is this
case about again?
Bennett’s brother Martellus is
also a player in the NFL — or was, until he announced his retirement last
month. In 2017, Martellus made it to the Super Bowl as a member of the New
England Patriots. Michael came to Houston to cheer on his brother, and
definitely had a credential to get onto the field. We know this because Getty
Images has a photo of Bennett on the field pre-game, prominently displaying his
credential.
The Patriots infamously ended
up coming back from a 28-3 deficit to defeat the Atlanta Falcons and win the
title. Bennett, naturally, wanted to celebrate with his brother on the field
after the game.
According to Acevedo, it was
at this point that Bennett “forcibly opened the locked doors” at the south side
tunnel near the stadium and in the mayhem, pushed back three security
personnel: One male, one white 28-year-old female, and one black 66-year-old paraplegic
female. Though Acevedo initially said that Bennett pushed the paraplegic woman
onto her butt, the detective on the case clarified that because her motorized
wheelchair weighed approximately 800 pounds, he merely pushed her shoulder back
and sprained it.
A police officer allegedly
witnessed this take place, and tried to stop Bennett to question him. At that
point, Acevedo says, Bennett refused to speak with the officer, and directed a
profanity-laced outburst towards the officer and the security personnel. “Fuck
you, you all must know who I am, and I could own this motherfucker,” said
Bennett, according to Acevedo.
“I’m going on the field
whether you like it or not.” The officer remained at the security post, Bennett
went on field to celebrate with his brother, and the officer filled out an
official report of the incident that evening.
What’s Bennett’s side of the
story?
Bennett appeared in a Houston
court last week and posted bail. His lawyer, Rusty Hardin, spoke with the
opposing counsel and said Bennett will plead “not guilty” if the case goes to
trial.
“He just flat-out didn’t do
it. It wasn’t a case of, ‘He didn’t shove her that hard,’ or anything like
that,” Hardin told Philly.com.
“He never touched her.” Hardin said that most relatives of New England Patriots
players were trying to get on the field after the game — understandably — and
that someone else might have shoved the paraplegic employee. However, Hardin
says he does have witnesses who will say that Bennett didn’t shove her.
Is there any video of the
incident?
Not that we know of. Though
Bennett’s sister suggested there was video in since-deleted tweets
posted right after his indictment, Acevedo said there is no video, and Hardin
has given no indication that Bennett’s camp has video, either.
The primary eyewitness for the
District Attorney’s office seems to be the police officer who confronted
Bennett at the time, the one who Bennett allegedly cussed at.
There is, however, definitive
proof that Bennett made it onto the field.
Why did it take so long for
the police to press charges?
The incident took place 14
months ago, in a very public place, and Bennett is a famous athlete whose
schedule is often public knowledge. So, why are we just hearing about it now?
According to Acevedo, though a
police officer did write up the report immediately after the Super Bowl, it
wasn’t assigned to a detective until May. That detective did not start the
investigation until late September.
Here is where things get a bit
suspect.
Last September, a few weeks
after Bennett announced that he would remain seated during the national anthem
for the entire NFL season, he released a public statement alleging that police
officers in Las Vegas racially profiled him after shots were fired at a casino.
Bennett said officers chased after him, forced him onto the ground, put a gun
near his head, threatened to “blow [his] fucking head off” and jammed a knee
into his back while he was on the ground.
“I have always had a strong
conviction that protesting or standing up for justice is just simply, the right
thing to do,” Bennett wrote
in a letter announcing that he would be looking to file a civil suit
against the LVMPD. “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 ‘Nigger,’ you will be treated that
way.”
Just days after Bennett made
that public statement, the Houston police began their investigation into
Bennett’s case. Remember, this was seven months after the alleged incident
occurred.
Acevedo is adamant that this
isn’t a conspiracy. Instead, he says that the Houston PD prioritized other
cases that they thought posed more of a direct threat to the community, such as
shootings and stabbings. Even though they believe Bennett is a “morally
corrupt” person who goes around abusing disabled seniors, they assessed that he
was not a high risk to others.
Ten years is a long time. Why
is Bennett facing so much prison time?
Bennett’s punishment for this
crime could be up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000. That’s
because he is being charged with elder abuse, and elders are a protected class
in Texas, as are children and the disabled. (Seniors in Texas are considered
anyone 65 or older, and the alleged victim is 66.)
The Texas Penal Code states
that “a person commits the offense of injury to an elderly or disabled
individual if they intentionally, knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal
negligence, by act or intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly by omission,
causes to a child, elderly individual, or disabled individual.”
As pointed out by The
Stranger, the law, which is codified in Section 22.04 of Texas’ penal code,
“reads like a criminal statute written to ensure that caretakers, such as
teachers, parents or nurses, that intentionally injure those in their care get
a sterner penalty than a normal assault charge.” In other words, this does not
seem like a law that was written to apply to cases like Bennett’s. With some
interpretive finessing though, a lawyer could make the case fit.
If his case does go to trial,
and Bennett is found guilty, his sentence will depend on whether he harmed the
security worker intentionally or recklessly. The former would put 10 years in
prison on the table, while the latter would carry a maximum sentence of two years
in state jail.
Is the Houston PD targeting
Bennett because of his outspoken activism against police brutality?
This, truly, is the crux of
the issue. And, of course, it’s the hardest question to answer.
The fact that the
investigation began right after Bennett accused the LVMPD of racial bias, and
the charges were made public two weeks before his book — which talks about
racism and police brutality — was released, certainly raises questions.
Then again, the District
Attorney in Houston, Kim Ogg, is a Democrat with the backing of several notable
progressive groups typically sympathetic to Bennet’s cause. She pushed for
criminal justice reform, and has battled against police unions in the past.
And, while Acevedo has appeared on sites like InfoWars multiple times, he’s
usually on there pushing a more progressive perspective. These aren’t exactly
staunch conservatives who have publicly spoken out against black athletes
protesting.
Still, the language Acevedo
used in the press conference announcing the charges was pretty telling. He
complained about Bennett’s “complete and total disregard for the authority of
that officer.” He said he was “grateful” that they were pursuing accountability
for “a guy who decides to push a 66-year-old black female paraplegic, a little
old woman, who is trying to make a living, making a fraction of what he’s
making.”
He repeatedly called Bennett
“pathetic” and shook his head in disgust during the press conference.
“Mr. Bennett might think that
because he’s an NFL player … rules don’t apply to him,” Acevedo said. “We
certainly weren’t going to tolerate this behavior. If this is the way you treat
women, it’s very telling of his character.”
He used harsher language to
criticize Bennett than many law enforcement personnel use to condemn murderers,
which makes this seem like part of a personal agenda.
What is next for Michael
Bennett?
Dave Zirin, who co-wrote the
book with Bennett, wrote an article for Colorlinesabout
Bennett’s fear of being silenced.
Michael is now fighting for
his freedom and is in no position to promote his book. What’s heartbreaking for
me is that there is a section of the book called “On Fear,” where Bennett says:
“As I write this now, I’ll tell you, I’m afraid. I fear not being heard. I fear
that people will just see the gesture of sitting during the anthem and not hear
my reasons, or they’ll accept the distortions put out by the media. That’s why
I’m writing a book, because this isn’t about sound bites or tweets or Instagram
quotes. This is about trying to push forward with a movement that can benefit
all of us.”
The good news for Bennett is
that as of now, his new team, the Philadelphia Eagles, are sticking by his
side. Hardin also feels confident that if the case does get to trial, they will
win. But Bennett has a long fight ahead of him.
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