GREEN BAY – Packers tight end Martellus Bennett says he was brought to tears after seeing a video of his brother's recent encounter with police in Las Vegas.
His brother - Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett - says he was a victim of racial profiling during the Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor fight weekend.
Michael Bennett claims that on Aug. 26 he was headed back to his hotel after the Mayweather-McGregor fight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas when several hundred people heard what sounded like gunshots.
Michael Bennett says that when he began to run like many others did around him, police officer singled him out and pointed their guns at him for "being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time." The police ordered him to get to the ground and according to his letter they told him they were going to "blow his f***ing head off." Michael says he recounts an officer placing a knee in his back, restricting his breathing, and handcuffing him so tight that his fingers went numb.
The incident was caught on cell phone video by TMZ.
“I just broke down crying thinking about what could have happened, what could have been,” Martellus Bennett said.
The Las Vegas Police Department addressed the incident late Wednesday and disputed the notion that Michael Bennet was targeted because of race. “I see no evidence that race played any role in this incident,” said Kevin McMahaill of the Las Vegas Police Department. "While officers were searching the casino, they were able to safely evacuate many patrons of all races" police say.
Michael Bennett was detained for 10 minutes.
The Las Vegas Police have opened an internal affairs investigation and asked for Bennett to provide the department with a formal statement.
Bennett has retained a lawyer for a possible lawsuit.
