NFL: Bears' Benson charged with boating while intoxicated, resisting arrest

cardinal&gold · 05-05-2008, 02:42 PM

If there is more to the story, in line with Cedric's comments in the article, I would not be surprised. I know the article says he was arrested by the Lower Colorado River Authority, but the Austin PD has had problems with targeting people of color in the past. I'm not saying that is the case, just that there is a precedent.

Cy Heavy · 05-05-2008, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by cybsball20

and he was boating with his parents and family then cried for his mom when they sprayed him...

Yeah, nothing says tough, pound-it-out RB like a guy that cries for mommy when he's getting hauled off by the police

cybsball20 · 05-07-2008, 01:45 PM

So, now a friend of Benson's, on the boat, was scared and said the Cops were 'beating up her black friend' so she called her dad to call the police. Her fiance took pictures of it going down. She also says that Cedric maybe had two beers...

My favorite is that the cop justifies the events saying.

According to the police report, Sgt. Leonard Snyder, who sprayed and arrested Benson, said he believed Benson was intoxicated because he was "combative," "cocky," "insulting" and used "profanity," but at other times was "crying" and "cooperative."

Sounds like just about any football player, especially if you are being told you are drunk and you are not. I was listening to 'The Pulse' on ESPN radio last night and he was saying the same thing, how would you be acting if you were sober and being forced off your boat and told you're drunk?

ISUFan22 · 05-07-2008, 02:02 PM

I just find it amusing that players from the NFC North, a cold weather division, have so much trouble with boats.

Phaedrus · 05-07-2008, 10:59 PM

Originally Posted by cybsball20

So, now a friend of Benson's, on the boat, was scared and said the Cops were 'beating up her black friend' so she called her dad to call the police. Her fiance took pictures of it going down. She also says that Cedric maybe had two beers...

My favorite is that the cop justifies the events saying.

Sounds like just about any football player, especially if you are being told you are drunk and you are not. I was listening to 'The Pulse' on ESPN radio last night and he was saying the same thing, how would you be acting if you were sober and being forced off your boat and told you're drunk?

Actually, a law-abiding citizen would be saying "yes-sir" and "no-sir", and complying with police instruction.

Afterwards, you get on speed-dial and call your lawyer and set up the lawsuit, etc..

There is no, as in none, zip, zilch, nix, nada justification for failing to obey police instructions.

Flipping any crap at all toward police officers executing their duties is grounds for putting a guy into the "deserved it" category, as far as I'm concerned.

jdewaard · 05-08-2008, 10:40 AM

Actually, a law-abiding citizen would be saying "yes-sir" and "no-sir", and complying with police instruction.

Afterwards, you get on speed-dial and call your lawyer and set up the lawsuit, etc..

There is no, as in none, zip, zilch, nix, nada justification for failing to obey police instructions.

Flipping any crap at all toward police officers executing their duties is grounds for putting a guy into the "deserved it" category, as far as I'm concerned.

You're right, because police never abuse their power, and are always in the right. Never question authority, right?
I'm not saying that this is the case, here, but certainly, based on what has come out, there is the possibility that there was some funny business here. Writing it off as "he deserved it" seems awfully premature, don't you think?

isuarch80 · 05-08-2008, 11:27 AM

From a Bear's fan site:

We may never know how much truth there is to the police's side or Cedric Benson's side, but this is strike one against Benson's side of the story. Benson claims that he was being harassed by police and that they 'look' for him.
A story is out that reports that Cedric Benson parked his boat on Lake Travis, in the lakes most popular party cove. Police have been attempting to crackdown on the drinking and partying at that location.
Again, this doesn't suggest what the Police did to Benson was not in line with his story, but if you go to a party location and everybody is drinking and the cops have been trying to curtail that, you can't claim you were an unfair target.

isuarch80 · 05-08-2008, 05:12 PM

And now a point for Ced... man, this is just going to be bad all around...

Toby Patch was at nearby Emerald Point Marina on Saturday night when he claims he saw police "manhandling" Benson after taking the running back off the boat and heading to a squad car. Patch was not one of the 15 people on the boat.

"As they were taking him up the dock, they stopped, he said, 'I am fine, I can continue walking,' and they put their legs behind his knees and knocked him over his knees and started hog-carrying him," Patch told KXAN-TV in Austin.

Near the parking area, Patch says the treatment of Benson worsened.

"They ended up--I don't know why--but laid him on his back, I heard him say, 'Please don't pepper spray me, please don't pepper spray me,'" Patch said. "It was uncalled for, it was ludicrous, no point for it."

cycopath25 · 05-08-2008, 05:16 PM

Originally Posted by isuarch80

From a Bear's fan site:

Cedric is looking good in that white headband.

Phaedrus · 05-08-2008, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by jdewaard

You're right, because police never abuse their power, and are always in the right. Never question authority, right?
I'm not saying that this is the case, here, but certainly, based on what has come out, there is the possibility that there was some funny business here. Writing it off as "he deserved it" seems awfully premature, don't you think?

Dude. When the police are standing there, issuing you instructions, you are obligated, under full force of the law, to obey those instructions. Failure to do so makes you wrong, no questions asked. (It also makes the rest of us wonder what you were doing in the first place to attract the attention of the police, and brings into question your lack of maturity.) So, in the rare case when the police are actually wrong, or abusing their authority, actively resisting effectively causes you to lose both the battle and the war.

You don't "question authority" by resisting, disobeying, questioning, or otherwise being a jerkoff, to the police. I've been the subject of a couple police mistakes, and once, a cop was honestly abusing his power, and each time, I was able to effectively "win" the fight against it. But only because I dealt with it as an adult.

Those police are representatives of you, me, and everyone else, and such, if you choose to"question authority" legally or lawfully, great. I support the right to do that. But anyone who resists law enforcement's ability to issue instructions get an automatic "guilty" as far as I'm concerned, until the jury says otherwise.

Phaedrus · 05-08-2008, 11:10 PM

Toby Patch was at nearby Emerald Point Marina on Saturday night when he claims he saw police "manhandling" Benson after taking the running back off the boat and heading to a squad car. Patch was not one of the 15 people on the boat.

"As they were taking him up the dock, they stopped, he said, 'I am fine, I can continue walking,' and they put their legs behind his knees and knocked him over his knees and started hog-carrying him," Patch told KXAN-TV in Austin.

Near the parking area, Patch says the treatment of Benson worsened.

"They ended up--I don't know why--but laid him on his back, I heard him say, 'Please don't pepper spray me, please don't pepper spray me,'" Patch said. "It was uncalled for, it was ludicrous, no point for it."

I doubt "Toby Patch" knows what he's talking about, vis-a-vis what happened to bring this on, or how to deal with an active resister.

Anyone with access to the TV Show COPS, or a link to YouTube can see lots of occasions where a dude kept talking to the police as if he was being cooperative, while energetically struggling the entire time.

Note to self: If you keep struggling, the police will taze/OC/subdue you. No matter what line of bull you keep giving them.

Is this a case of "boating while black?" It's possible. I'm not even intimating that it's not. But it sounds like Mr. Benson has a serious issue with who is actually in charge, when he is being instructed and/or restrained by the police.

cybsball20 · 05-08-2008, 11:14 PM

Originally Posted by Phaedrus

Dude. When the police are standing there, issuing you instructions, you are obligated, under full force of the law, to obey those instructions. Failure to do so makes you wrong, no questions asked. (It also makes the rest of us wonder what you were doing in the first place to attract the attention of the police, and brings into question your lack of maturity.) So, in the rare case when the police are actually wrong, or abusing their authority, actively resisting effectively causes you to lose both the battle and the war.

You don't "question authority" by resisting, disobeying, questioning, or otherwise being a jerkoff, to the police. I've been the subject of a couple police mistakes, and once, a cop was honestly abusing his power, and each time, I was able to effectively "win" the fight against it. But only because I dealt with it as an adult.

Those police are representatives of you, me, and everyone else, and such, if you choose to"question authority" legally or lawfully, great. I support the right to do that. But anyone who resists law enforcement's ability to issue instructions get an automatic "guilty" as far as I'm concerned, until the jury says otherwise.

I don't disagree with you much, but here I do... If a cop takes my 'questioning' as grounds to pepper me, he doesn't deserve that badge because he is a coward that is hiding behind it...

Phaedrus · 05-09-2008, 12:39 AM

Originally Posted by cybsball20

I don't disagree with you much, but here I do... If a cop takes my 'questioning' as grounds to pepper me, he doesn't deserve that badge because he is a coward that is hiding behind it...

You can definitely question. But Benson's lawyer admitted in his public statement that Benson was refusing to go with the officers when things went south (pardon the pun).

Helpful tip: Comply, THEN question.

I sure wouldn't want to be some 160 pound police officer, on a boat, trying to get a recalcitrant professional football player to comply with my instructions, while outnumbered 15 to 1. I'd say pepper spray would be prudent, rather than a sign of cowardice.