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Michael Bennett - False Arrest? (3 Viewers)

Can you imagine if the elderly person is black?  Will @squistion spend 20 hours a day copying and pasting tweets about how the police didn't act on this assault or 20 hours a day defending a false accusation against Bennett?  His brain might explode :boom:

 
More evidence in this case than Zeke, you must have you bias blinders on.
That isn't true. That involved domestic violence allegations raised by Elliott’s former girlfriend. There wasn't a 14 month delay with her appearing out of the blue. She filed police reports and went to the Columbus City Attorney’s office to pursue charges, which they did not do. Here we have the allegation of pushing a wheelchair back, yet despite this, there being no video or photographic evidence and as of yet, and the testimony of only one witness, the police office who did not think enough of it to arrest Bennett at the time.  

 
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That isn't true. That involved domestic violence allegations raised by Elliott’s former girlfriend. There wasn't a 14 month delay with her appearing out of the blue. She filed police reports and went to the Columbus City Attorney’s office to pursue charges, which they did not do. Here we have the allegation of pushing a wheelchair back, yet despite this, there being no video or photographic evidence and as of yet, and the testimony of only one witness, the police office who did not think enough of it to arrest Bennett at the time. And there has been no documentation provided that this actual injury, this shoulder sprain occurred.   
So you are going to trust an ex girlfriend over a grand jury? 

 
It lacks credibility that they are so backlogged that they could not get to a case of such obvious national interest (see news coverage today) that it took them 14 months to get to it.
My post had zero to do with that. I simply pointed out the mistake you made and rather than acknowledge you just may have been wrong, you move onto a different issue. 

 
Yet I have never seen that happen, not once.
I have. It involved a ham and cheese on pumpernickel that was indicted in Podunk, AR in 1987. The case was dismissed because the defendant disappeared, presumably eaten by defense counsel who forgot to pack his lunch the day of a pretrial conference.

 
To be honest, I don’t know or particularly care if Bennett is guilty of this or not. It doesn’t change my life one bit, nor my opinion of Bennett. 

That said, defending him seems an odd hill to die on. 

 
To be honest, I don’t know or particularly care if Bennett is guilty of this or not. It doesn’t change my life one bit, nor my opinion of Bennett. 

That said, defending him seems an odd hill to die on. 
To be honest, I don’t care if he’s guilty or not either, because that has NEVER stopped Roger from being the supreme Judge idiot.  If Zeke can get six games without an indictment, this should be a no brainer.  If Josh Gordon can get suspended for a season for responsibly having a drink with teammates, this should be a no brainer.  If Tom Brady can get suspended after a judge overrules the NFL, this should be a no brainer. If Vincent Jackson can get suspended three games for driving without a license, this should be a no brainer. If Tank Johnson can get suspended for having guns inside his house, this should be a no brainer.  If Plaxico can get suspended for shooting himself, this should be a no brainer.  If Pac-Man Jones can get suspended for “inciting a fight”, this should be a no brainer. Being a social activists shouldn’t get you special treatment over other athletes who have had to go through the same troubles in their life.

 
So you are going to trust an ex girlfriend over a grand jury? 
Apples and oranges. Considering some of the indictments I have seen or have not seen, I might trust a girlfriend who had documented evidence of domestic violence over a grand jury being given a one-sided presentation. Grand juries can be manipulated by a prosecutor, as evidenced by all the police shootings of unarmed black men in which the grand jury fails to issue an indictment against a LEO despite what seems to be overwhelming evidence that an unjustified killing occured. The grand jury only hears one side of the story and that side is what the prosecution wants them to see.

 
Michael Bennett's Houston attorney, Rusty Hardin, commenting on police chief's public remarks:

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/sports/texans/article/NFL-s-Michael-Bennett-indicted-for-third-degree-12777934.php?utm_campaign=twitter-premium&utm_source=CMS Sharing Button&utm_medium=social

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, during a news conference following the announcement of the indictment, advised Bennett to surrender to authorities and said, "If we find him on the street, we are going to arrest him."

But Acevedo saved his harshest words in proclaiming his contempt for Bennett's actions, as witnessed by a Houston police officer.

"You're morally corrupt when you put your hands on a little old lady in a wheelchair. That is morally corrupt … morally bankrupt," Acevedo said. "He's morally bankrupt. There's no excuse for that. None."

Bennett has been represented by Dallas attorney Frank Perez, and his defense team will include Houston attorney Rusty Hardin, who has represented several local athletes in high-profile cases.

Hardin said Friday night he has not met Bennett but spoke with him by telephone Friday. He said Bennett is returning to the mainland from Hawaii and plans to surrender Monday.

Hardin, who has a son who is a Houston police officer, said he was dumbfounded by the harsh nature of Acevedo's comments Friday afternoon.

"I have supported this chief of police, but what he said today was inexcusable," the attorney said. "His job is to investigate, arrest and charge people he believes may have committed a crime and to let the system decide whether they are guilty. To call a person charged with a crime 'morally bankrupt' is impermissible. It's over the top.

"Neither I nor the chief of police have ever met Michael Bennett. Neither one of us should be talking about whether he is guilty or not guilty until we know what the facts are. We have the presumption of innocence, and if the chief of police by fiat decides to do away with that, we're in a hell of a fix."

The NFL said it is looking into the matter, and the Eagles had no comment.

 
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2018/03/michael_bennett_incident_details.html

Eagles' Michael Bennett incident: Here are the major holes in Houston's shaky indictment

[...]

NO ARREST IS MADE

Despite witnessing the alleged assault, a police officer at the scene does not to make an arrest and allows Bennett onto the field. [...]

Although Acevedo said he agreed with the decision to not arrest Bennett at the time, and that decision is the first of many questionable decisions by the Houston police department.

If Bennett assaulted three people, and the incident warranted an indictment, why wasn't he arrested at the scene? Or, after the postgame commotion, why wasn't he questioned while he was still at the stadium? 

Bennett wasn't exactly hiding, as he even appeared on the set of the NFL Network's post game show. 

NO VIDEO OF THE INCIDENT

A major hole in the police department's case against Bennett? They have no video evidence -- despite dozens of cameras, TV and surveillance, not to mention tens of thousands of camera phones in the stadium. 

"There is no video at that location. No video captured that incident," Acevedo said, "but we had a police officer that witnessed it."

The admission that there was no urgency to question or arrest Bennett, and the lack of video evidence, will weaken the case against Bennett.

THE INVESTIGATION SITS

Following the alleged incident, the case sat for three months before it was assigned to the detective -- another questionable move. For three months, other cases piled up. ]...]

Allowing mold to grow on the case, however, is odd.

SEPTEMBER 17, 2017: THE INVESTIGATION BEGINS

Eight months after the initial incident, the detectives began to investigate. 

"In September, we started actively working the case," Acevedo said.

At that time, Bennett was still with the Seattle Seahawks, who play three games in September --  in Seattle, Green Bay and Tennessee. He could be easily located if needed. [...]

NOTHING HAPPENS FOR FOUR MONTHS

Acevedo was vague on what happened after the departments' initial round of interviews.

According to the police timeline, it took four months from the last interview -- the meeting with the NRG stadium security manager in October -- to the warrant for Bennett's arrest was issued on March 23. 

THE POLICE CHIEF GOES OFF ON BENNETT

Adding to the red flags surrounding the case? Acevedo's personal attacks on Bennett during the press conference. He slammed Bennett's character and went far beyond simply announcing the alleged details of the case. 

"You are morally corrupt when you put your hands on a little old lady in a little wheelchair. That is morally corrupt. I mean morally bankrupt," Acevedo said. "He is morally bankrupt. There is no excuse for that. None. Zero."  [...]

 
People should be presumed innocent until, but fortunately, this guys reputation kind of gets in the way of that. 

 
THE POLICE CHIEF GOES OFF ON BENNETT

Adding to the red flags surrounding the case? Acevedo's personal attacks on Bennett during the press conference. He slammed Bennett's character and went far beyond simply announcing the alleged details of the case. 

"You are morally corrupt when you put your hands on a little old lady in a little wheelchair. That is morally corrupt. I mean morally bankrupt," Acevedo said. "He is morally bankrupt. There is no excuse for that. None. Zero."  [...]
I have no strong feelings on the guy one way or the other.  I get it, he has a bad rep which I'm sure he has earned.  But this press conference by the police chief seemed odd to me.  Normally its a very business-like, fact-based, presentation.  Knowing nothing at all about the person or the case, the police seemed unprofessional in this case.

 
I hate to be on Squishy's side because it usually turns out to be wrong, but this just doesn't seem like felony activity to me and likely belongs in the civil arena if anywhere.

 
I wish this story would die already, because every time I think about it I remember how big of a piece of #### Roger Goodell is and it puts me in a bad mood :hot:  and my blood pressure goes through the roof :hot: . I need to find a lawyer and see if I can sue the NFL :penalty:   for causing me future health problems :X . 

 
Ian Rapoport‏Verified account @RapSheet 16m16 minutes ago

#Eagles GM Howie Roseman tells reporters he didn’t know about the Michael Bennett situation until Friday. Same as the #Seahawks

 
I have no strong feelings on the guy one way or the other.  I get it, he has a bad rep which I'm sure he has earned.  But this press conference by the police chief seemed odd to me.  Normally its a very business-like, fact-based, presentation.  Knowing nothing at all about the person or the case, the police seemed unprofessional in this case.
Sad.. nowadays everyone wants their 15 minutes.

 
I hate to be on Squishy's side because it usually turns out to be wrong, but this just doesn't seem like felony activity to me and likely belongs in the civil arena if anywhere.
It does seem weird with what we know, but how can a grand jury see enough evidence to decide to indict if its all just a sham?

 
Ian Rapoport‏Verified account @RapSheet 39m39 minutes ago

#Eagles DE Michael Bennett surrendered to authorities in Houston and made a court appearance. His bond was set at $10,000 on a felony count of injury to the elderly. It’ll be a few hours until he’s released.

 
I hate to be on Squishy's side because it usually turns out to be wrong, but this just doesn't seem like felony activity to me and likely belongs in the civil arena if anywhere.
There were witnesses, including a police officer.  The officer went to help the lady when Bennett went through her as apparently he pushed her pretty hard.  

 
http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/eagles/eagles-michael-bennett-attorney-rusty-hardin-howie-roseman-20180326.html

Attorney Rusty Hardin says Eagles' Michael Bennett 'just flat-out didn't do it'

ORLANDO, Fla. — While Eagles vice president Howie Roseman was discussing the third-degree felony charge against defensive end Michael Bennett with reporters Monday at the NFL Meetings in Orlando, Bennett was in the process of posting $10,000 bail in Houston.

Attorney Rusty Hardin said Bennett’s defense against the charge of striking an elderly paraplegic security guard in the aftermath of Super Bowl LI will be that “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. … He never touched her.”

Hardin maintained that nearly everyone in the New England Patriots’ “family” section was trying to figure out how to get on the field to celebrate at NRG Stadium that night, including Bennett, whose brother Martellus played tight end for the victorious Patriots.

“There were bunches of families going through that door,” Hardin told the Inquirer and the Daily News. “They all tried different places. Everybody sort of streamed through there. I’m not sure this woman knew who [shoved her.]”

In the wake of the grand jury indictment of Bennett on Friday, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo called Bennett “morally bankrupt.” He said there was no video of the incident but said it was witnessed by a Houston police officer. What Bennett allegedly did normally would be classified as a misdemeanor, but because the complainant was 66 years old, it rose to the level of felony. She is said to have suffered a sprained shoulder.

Hardin said he has witnesses who will maintain that Bennett was not involved in an altercation. He said the prosecution apparently has not talked to these people and “may not know who they are,” but he will present their accounts. Bennett’s next court appearance is set for April 23.

Hardin said he remains mystified by Acevedo’s vitriolic press conference.

“I’ve never seen it before. We don’t talk about capital murder defendants like that,” Hardin said.

A Houston Police Department spokesman said the department stands by Acevedo’s remarks Friday. He said since the matter is now in the courts, any further comment would have to come from the district attorney’s office. The DA’s office has not responded to a request for a response to Hardin’s statements.

 
Attorney Rusty Hardin says Eagles' Michael Bennett 'just flat-out didn't do it'
I hadn't been paying much attention to this case; it's pretty easy to predict where it's going, and it's gonna be annoying as hell no matter how it's resolved.

But if the bat#### crazy Texas lawyer with the toupee from the Roger Clemens case is involved I may have to rethink things.

 
'You all must know who I am and I can own this (expletive). I'm going down to the field, whether you like it or not.'

- alcohol assisted entitlement.

 
Eliot Shorr-Parks✔@EliotShorrParks

For those wondering: The #Eagles save $5.6 million by releasing Michael Bennett and there would be no dead money on the books if they do.

6:33 AM - Mar 24, 2018

 
How does anyone know what happened here?
We don't. Presumably in this country you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All we have is the what the Houston PD Chief has said publicly, which is not corroborated outside of the one lone witness and is obviously biased by referring to Bennett as morally corrupt.

 
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We don't. Presumably in this country you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All we have is the what the Houston PD Chief has said publically, which is not corroborated and is obviously biased by referring to Bennett as morally corrupt.
If only you applied this to the other 99% of topics you spam

 
We don't. Presumably in this country you are presumed innocent until proven guilty. All we have is the what the Houston PD Chief has said publically, which is not corroborated and is obviously biased by referring to Bennett as morally corrupt.
Bennett can be ##### but I can’t buy him pushing some old lady down and just walking past. F that guy if there’s video of this but it seems fishy.

 
We don't have any evidence here.  I'll wait and see.  I can't imagine this is anything he would do a day in jail for.  Funny how many presumed guilt on the LVPD's part though now want to give Bennett the benefit of the doubt here, where at least in the Las Vegas incident there was some video, none of which corroborated anything Bennett claimed.  Sounds like just a jerk of a guy who someone saw an opportunity a year later to go after given all the publicity he brought on himself.

 
Bennett can be ##### but I can’t buy him pushing some old lady down and just walking past. F that guy if there’s video of this but it seems fishy.
There are several eye witnesses.  Seems like a super fishy story to collaboratively make up. 

 
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We don't have any evidence here.  I'll wait and see.  I can't imagine this is anything he would do a day in jail for.  Funny how many presumed guilt on the LVPD's part though now want to give Bennett the benefit of the doubt here, where at least in the Las Vegas incident there was some video, none of which corroborated anything Bennett claimed.  Sounds like just a jerk of a guy who someone saw an opportunity a year later to go after given all the publicity he brought on himself.
A+ post.  We all know what regular posters in here aren't capable of such rational thinking.

 
Where is this at, just seeing short articles that don't have that many details.
Just about every one. This is from the Houston Chronicle. 

Witnesses also said Bennett used profanity as he brushed past three security workers and pushed one of them, Barbara Tatman, 66, a paraplegic confined to an 800-pound motorized wheelchair, causing her to require medical treatment and medication for a sprained shoulder.
One I read earlier said one witness was a police officer.  

 
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There may not be video, but, it was the super bowl for crying out loud. It wasn't an empty hallway with no one else around. 

 

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