Las Vegas Cops Dispute NFL Player's Allegations

Michael Bennett says he was targeted for being black
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 7, 2017 4:11 AM CDT

Police in Las Vegas have rejected Seattle Seahawks player Michael Bennett's claim that he was racially profiled during a shooting scare after the Mayweather-McGregor fight Aug. 26. Kevin McMahill, the undersheriff of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, told reporters Wednesday that as officers responded to a call about shots fired at a casino nightclub, they encountered the defensive linesman "crouched down behind a gaming machine," CBS Sports reports. Bennett ran away as officers approached, which is why he was chased, handcuffed, and detained, McMahill said. He said Bennett was detained for around 10 minutes before he was released.

McMahill said that at the time, Bennett said he understood why he was detained, but he complained one officer had pointed a gun at his head. The undersheriff showed body camera video that appeared to back up Bennett's claim and said police would investigate the player's accusation that the officer said he would "blow my f------ head off." Earlier Wednesday, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said he supported Bennett, who said he was treated with excessive force for being "a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time." "What happened with Michael is a classic illustration of the reality of inequalities that are demonstrated daily," the coach said. (More Las Vegas stories.)

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