Michael Bennett suing Las Vegas police department

[klos63]

I did try to get you to stop posting.

 

Holy embarrassment.

what the hell is your problem?

[JohnBonhamRocks]

you're precious

 

Is this as simple as a man on vacation was stopped by police? No, he was a suspect of a crime in a city with rampant crime. **** happens. Grow up, Micheal, life isn't always easy

It's an active shooter situation.

 

The police are trying to eliminate a threat who is in the process of shooting, and is a mortal danger to those around him. Bennett was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The police are trying to stop people from dying in real time.

 

I don't care if you're a suspect (means there's been no proof of guilt) or if it's an active shooter situation. Neither calls for telling someone they will get they're head blown off. If the guy receiving the treatment of being told his head will be blown off were the active shooter, I'm also not sure how that helps much. Would hope cops could do their job without making threats on civilian lives.

[IDBillzFan]

 

I don't care if you're a suspect (means there's been no proof of guilt) or if it's an active shooter situation. Neither calls for telling someone they will get they're head blown off. If the guy receiving the treatment of being told his head will be blown off were the active shooter, I'm also not sure how that helps much. Would hope cops could do their job without making threats on civilian lives.

 

I missed the part of the video where he said he was going to blow his head off. Would hope cops could do their job without civilians threatening to kill cops all the time.

[TakeYouToTasker]

 

I don't care if you're a suspect (means there's been no proof of guilt) or if it's an active shooter situation. Neither calls for telling someone they will get they're head blown off. If the guy receiving the treatment of being told his head will be blown off were the active shooter, I'm also not sure how that helps much. Would hope cops could do their job without making threats on civilian lives.

Then you don't understand police work.

 

The role of the police in that situation is to obtain control of the situation as quickly as possible. I've been in Bennett's situation before, and it's horrifying; but I complied because during an active shooter situation the most important job the police have is to eliminate all possible threats and save lives if possible. It's a ridiculously difficult job to try to do under the best circumstances.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

 

I missed the part of the video where he said he was going to blow his head off. Would hope cops could do their job without civilians threatening to kill cops all the time.

 

Didn't watch the video, but that's what he said in his letter. Safe to say this discussion is in the context of taking him at his word before discovery happens.

 

Me too, re: bolded, but unsure how that applies to this story.

Then you don't understand police work.

 

The role of the police in that situation is to obtain control of the situation as quickly as possible. I've been in Bennett's situation before, and it's horrifying; but I complied because during an active shooter situation the most important job the police have is to eliminate all possible threats and save lives if possible. It's a ridiculously difficult job to try to do under the best circumstances.

 

Hypothetical based on what he has alleged: would you feel the same if you were in full compliance and then were being told you might get your head blown off?

 

I think the point is that he says he was complying, but still got mistreated.

 

EDIT: I think what I'm trying to say is they could have just as effectively handled the situation without threatening to blow his head off, especially if he was in fact complying.

Edited September 6, 2017 by JohnBonhamRocks

[T-Bomb]

 

 

I think the point is that he says he was complying, but still got mistreated.

 

 

This is where cops being !@#$s comes into play.

[boyst]

That's how I feel too. It's one thing if you move or resist arrest, and that is definitely what happened in some of these other cases. But if Bennett is honest about what happened it's a civil rights violation. He wasn't moving or resisting, did exactly what he was told, still was subjected to excessive force. In America we aren't supposed to be abused like that, we're presumed innocent. I would be terrified in that situation, it isn't just an "unpleasant experience" IMO.

 

But again this all depends on if he's being completely honest about everything. I usually give people the benefit of the doubt and let things play out from there

how is it a civil rights violation?

He fit the description of an active shooter? The police were conducting a search and he got a description?

 

Is it a violation of his civil rights that he was simply detained for fitting a description?

 

I don't care if you're a suspect (means there's been no proof of guilt) or if it's an active shooter situation. Neither calls for telling someone they will get they're head blown off. If the guy receiving the treatment of being told his head will be blown off were the active shooter, I'm also not sure how that helps much. Would hope cops could do their job without making threats on civilian lives.

I need to re watch it. Missed that part. Because that part should matter, ya know. Mean words hurt.

[K D]

I missed the part of the video where he said he was going to blow his head off. Would hope cops could do their job without civilians threatening to kill cops all the time.

Obviously it was edited out because it's a big conspiracy that all cops are in on. Or maybe the cops are just doing their job and someone who thinks they are special took it personally.

 

Last night after the concert my wife's step dad was questioned by a police officer because the bouncer at the restaurant said he was swearing and threatening him. It was a case of mistaken identity. The cop was just doing his job but her step dad started yelling and swearing and making a scene and actually gave the cop a reason to arrest him. Luckily he didn't. I was embarrassed. He knew he didn't do anything wrong so just say sorry officer you seem to have the wrong person but I'll cooperate to get this moving so you will have time to catch the right person. You can't take it personal.

 

I was pulled over once and I was then asked to exit the vehicle and I was handcuffed and searched and detained. I asked what was wrong and they said my name was the same as someone on a APB list. They ran my info and saw I wasn't the guy and then I was on my way. It was a black cop so maybe he was just pulling over all white boys because he's racist. Or maybe he was just doing his job. I'm going to call tmz just in case!

[Herc11]

Wrong

More baseless assumptions...

Its called sarcasm to highlight Bennets own assumption that he was targeted because he was black

[JohnBonhamRocks]

I need to re watch it. Missed that part. Because that part should matter, ya know. Mean words hurt.

 

Still haven't watched it, so dunno what is or isn't in the video. Regardless, it may have happened before or after the video.

 

Again though, the point is that compliant civilians should not have to face a death threat.

[Beast]

So just tell every black guy to get on the ground?

How do you know he wasn't pointed out as being the possible suspect by a bystander?

Definitely a lot more facts need to come out and the police will give their side of the story. Even if just some of it is true it is a clear civil rights violation. But who knows.

Explain how, please.

[boyst]

 

Still haven't watched it, so dunno what is or isn't in the video. Regardless, it may have happened before or after the video.

 

Again though, the point is that compliant civilians should not have to face a death threat.

we don't know the truth of what happened. And I doubt it was any real threat that I'd worry about. An officer must have his weapon drawn when confronting a possible armed suspect.

 

Not only that saying they'll shoot you if you move is nothing extraordinary. Saying it violently is expected.

 

Either way we will continue to disagree so I'm done here with all this.

Have fun kids

[IDBillzFan]

 

Still haven't watched it, so dunno what is or isn't in the video. Regardless, it may have happened before or after the video.

 

Again though, the point is that compliant civilians should not have to face a death threat.

 

Watch the video. See all the people around while this is happening? There are A LOT of people. You would think someone would be talking about how the cops called him the N word and threatened to blow his effin' head off, no?

 

You seem determined to believe Bennett, but have no interest in any of the evidence that is in front of you. You give Bennett the benefit of the doubt, but not the police.

 

Too bad.

[Mickey]

Perhaps he was targeted because he matched the gunman's ID and not just because he was black? I'm so tired of the go-to "it was because I'm black" bull ****. If the report is a blackman was firing a gun, why would an officer go after an asian, mexican, or white guy?

At no point in the encounter as related by Bennett did the officers inform him of the basis for their suspicion. An officer can detain a person based on a reasonable suspicion that the person has committed or is about to commit a crime. Reasonable force can be used to detain a person who is resisting being detained. Lastly, an officer is required to use the least amount of force that is reasonable under the circumstances. An appropriate investigation will surely take place and hopefully the facts will emerge and until that time, it is unfair to judge Bennett's complaint or the officer's actions.

 

What worries me is that most normal people would be terrified to have anyone, officer or not, pointing a gun at their head and threatening to shoot them. If a person in that situation makes a single mistake, they could be shot dead. Under that kind of duress, people are bound to make mistakes, especially innocent people with no experience with being forcefully detained. I spent four years investigating cases exactly like this and in almost every one of them, a tragic death and a ruined career hung by the tiniest of threads.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

 

Watch the video. See all the people around while this is happening? There are A LOT of people. You would think someone would be talking about how the cops called him the N word and threatened to blow his effin' head off, no?

 

You seem determined to believe Bennett, but have no interest in any of the evidence that is in front of you. You give Bennett the benefit of the doubt, but not the police.

 

Too bad.

 

Again, have not and currently cannot watch the video.

 

Still, he never said a cop called him the N word from what I read. But I do think it is possible that if the cops did threaten to blow his head off that it may have happened before or after the video. Possible.

 

I don't believe Bennett or the police, but I'm not ruling out what either says. I haven't seen a statement from the LVPD. I give Bennett and the police the same benefit of the doubt - I entertain what they claim and then compare it against the facts that come to light.

 

The only evidence so far I am aware of is the video. Let's wait until some more comes forward.

 

My point remains, that if it was the case that he complied and was still told he might get his head blown off, then the police could have done better. If.

[Kelly the Dog]

 

Watch the video. See all the people around while this is happening? There are A LOT of people. You would think someone would be talking about how the cops called him the N word and threatened to blow his effin' head off, no?

 

You seem determined to believe Bennett, but have no interest in any of the evidence that is in front of you. You give Bennett the benefit of the doubt, but not the police.

 

Too bad.

Let me ask you this, my friend. And I mean that.

 

Which do you think is MORE likely or more close to the truth? That the cop did what Bennett said he did or very close to it? Or that the cop was just a little strong with him, never put a gun to his head, never threatened to blow his head off, never overused force, and Bennett just made that all up and is coming out in public and suing the police department, knowing they likely have video of it.

 

Which do you think is more likely? Just a simple answer.

[26CornerBlitz]

@RapSheet

Here is the official release from #Seahawks DL Michael Bennett on being assaulted by Las Vegas PD:

[Just Jack]

Again, have not and currently cannot watch the video.

Then stop commenting on the situation.

[JohnBonhamRocks]

Then stop commenting on the situation.

 

Wonderful, substantive, insightful input. Thanks.

[4merper4mer]

 

EDIT: I think what I'm trying to say is they could have just as effectively handled the situation without threatening to blow his head off, especially if he was in fact complying.

 

 

Would you have preferred: Stay Down!!!!! But here is a lollipop while you wait?

 

The general subject of police abuse is no joke. Active shooter situations: also no joke. Improper phrasing of instructions by a cop is something that needs to be corrected, but it probably isn't high on the list of crap to worry about in that particular situation. Is there any indication that the cop said: All black people get down and stay there or I'll blow your elfin head off....white people you are free to go?

 

 

Edit: After seeing the video a little later in the thread:

 

If I were Bennett I would have been scared.

I didn't see a bunch of black people being detained, nor did I see white people being detained. I didn't really see any people at all other than Bennett and two cops. Did he run in a different direction that the rest of the crowd or is the footage simply focused on him?

Stopping a guy running from an active shooting, is probably advisable. They stopped Bennett.

Did they release him in the proper amount of time, treat him unfairly, detain him because he is black? All speculation, and fair for Bennett to have determined by a court. It is fair for him to accuse the LVPD of being predisposed against black guys, but he also has to prove what they did here was wrong.

Were there other people detained nearby? Can't tell.

 

If it were a black cop, and I'm sure there are some employed in LV, would he have filed this complaint?

Has Bennett ever been to Vegas before when there was no active shooter situation from which he was fleeing? Was he detained then?