Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett was involved in a terrifying ordeal in Las Vegas while attending the Floyd Mayweather/Conor McGregor fight in August.
According to a social media post that he put up on Wednesday morning, Bennett claims he was racially profiled by Las Vegas police after several gun shots went off while he was making his way back to his hotel on the night of August 26 following the fight. Bennett says he was singled out by police, thrown to the ground, and threatened by a cop who told Bennett he would shoot him in the head if he didn’t remain still and comply with his commands.
"A police officer ordered me to the ground," Bennett wrote in his post. "As I laid on the ground, complying with his commands to not move, he placed his gun near my head and warned me that if I moved he would 'blow my fucking 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. They then cinched the handcuffs on my wrists so tight that my fingers went numb."
Bennett went on to call the use of force utilized by the police officers "unbearable." He also said that one of the thoughts that went through his mind during the incident was, "I’m going to die for no other reason than I am black and my skin color is somehow a threat."
After being put into the back of a police car, Bennett was eventually released by the cops after they identified him. But Bennett was obviously upset over the situation and is considering legal action against the cops who profiled him. In his post, Bennett also said that the incident is one of the reasons he will continue to sit during the national anthem before games.
"I have always held a strong conviction that protesting or standing up for justice is just simply, the right thing to do," he wrote. "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."
A short time after Bennett put up his post, Colin Kaepernick lent his support to him on Twitter.
Bennett's brother Martellus chimed in as well and explained what it was like to hear about what happened.
TMZ Sports also released a 30-second video that shows Bennett being handcuffed by a cop as he proclaims his innocence.
Bennett has been one of the most outspoken players in the entire NFL over the course of the last couple years. He has encouraged white players to take part in national anthem protests, refused to take a trip to Israel with some of his fellow NFL players, and vowed to donate his 2017 endorsement money to benefit minority communities and women of color.
