The Las Vegas Metro Police union is asking the National Football League to investigate Michael Bennett’s claims that he was targeted for being “a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time” and consider punishing him, according to reports.
On Wednesday, the Seahawks' all-pro defensive end tweeted a letter saying Las Vegas police treated him with racial bias and that "the system failed me." Follow this link to read Bennett's letter.
"We believe that a fair investigation will establish that our officers responded to one of the most dangerous calls a law enforcement officer can be assigned – an active shooter firing rounds in a crowded casino," Detective and union president Steve Grammas wrote in a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
The letter was published by LasVegasNow.com, the website for KLAS TV. Here is reporter Vanessa Murphy's video report.
“As our officers entered the casino, they observed Bennett hiding behind a slot machine. When officers turned towards Bennett, he bolted out of the casino, leaped over [a] four (4) foot barrier wall, and hid from officers as he crouched close to the wall on the sidewalk.”
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The union president wrote that officers had reasonable suspicion – the Constitutional standard – to detain Bennett until they could determine whether he was involved in the shooting.
“Our officers, who are both minorities, had the legal right, and obligation, to detain Bennett based upon the nature of the call and Bennett’s unusual and suspicious actions,” Grammas wrote.
Bennett’s letter that he posted on Twitter detailed how he said police would not answers his question. Police said later Thursday that a supervisor explained what happened to Bennett after he was initially detained, and also noted Bennett did not file a formal complaint with the department.
Several players, including quarterback Colin Kaepernick, backed Bennett. Kaepernick tweeted that “this violation that happened against my Brother Michael Bennett is disgusting and unjust. I stand with Michael and I stand with the people.”
Follow this link to read additional details about Kaepernick's response to Bennett's case.