Starting to believe Benson

[butkusrules]

I know this ultimately a he said she said but I am starting to believe Benson's story more then LCRA

 

 

 

Friend sought help for Benson

Concerned for his safety with police, woman phones parents to call 911

 

By David Haugh | Tribune reporter

12:12 AM CDT, May 7, 2008

 

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A female passenger on Cedric Benson's boat Saturday night in Austin, Texas, was concerned enough about his safety after police took him into custody to phone her parents and urge them to call 911, the Tribune has learned.

 

"I called my dad and told him, 'Call 911, my black friend is getting beaten up by police on Lake Travis,' " said Elizabeth Cartwright, 22, a friend of Benson's from the University of Texas. "It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared."

 

Cartwright put in writing her version of the events on Lake Travis that resulted in Benson being charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest.

 

She says she is willing to submit her document as evidence supporting his account. She said her fiance also took dozens of photographs that help corroborate her claims.

 

Related links

 

*

Bears release Adam Archuleta

 

In a 45-minute phone interview, she explained that she chose to come forward because of concerns that Benson's reputation was being "tainted" by accounts of the incident.

 

Benson faces a May 19 court date on the misdemeanor charges but was informed Tuesday that his lawyer can represent him.

 

He was back Tuesday at Halas Hall for a two-hour visit and already has shared with friends, including Cartwright, his desire to file a lawsuit against Travis County authorities based on his treatment during the arrest.

 

"We're not asking to be treated better, but we don't want to be treated worse, either, because of who Cedric is," Benson's lawyer, Brian Carney, said Tuesday night.

 

Cartwright, an English major at the University of Texas who is to graduate later this month, estimated she and her fiance had been boating with Benson six times this spring and each time a Lower Colorado River Authority boat pulled them over for a safety check.

 

There were about 15 people on the boat, including Benson's mother, Jackie, who had spent much of the evening swimming in a part of the lake known as Devil's Cove. Just when the group had decided to head back to shore around 9:30 p.m. and go out to dinner, a patrol boat stopped to conduct a random check.

 

According to Cartwright, she had consumed one beer and Benson had two drinks.

 

"I know Cedric and I don't think he was drunk," Cartwright said.

 

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

 

When Benson's boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

 

"We were all like, 'Why?' " she said.

 

After an officer led Benson to the LCRA boat for the test, the second officer left behind on Benson's boat assured a nervous Jackie Benson that her son would be fine, Cartwright recalled.

 

A few minutes later, Cartwright said she heard Benson begin to scream after the officer pepper-sprayed him in the eye. By the time Benson was in handcuffs, he was screaming, "Please stop, Mom, make them please stop."

 

Cartwright disputed that Benson was resisting arrest.

 

Panicked, Cartwright called her father, Jeff, to give him a description of the physical way she saw her friend being treated and told him to call 911.

 

Unaware the friend in question was Benson, Jeff Cartwright called 911 and told the dispatcher that police "were beating up a black kid on Lake Travis."

 

A Travis County spokesman wouldn't confirm or deny Tuesday night that a 911 call had been placed regarding the incident. An affidavit the LCRA filed described Benson as cocky, smelling strongly of alcohol and needing to be removed forcibly from the boat and eventually falling to the ground.

 

Benson claimed police kicked his feet out from under him, causing him to fall awkwardly. When Benson got up, Cartwright remembers him sitting in a squad car surrounded by six officers.

 

"In the weakest voice, Cedric said to me and my fiance, 'Help me get out of here,' " Cartwright said. "He was so scared."

 

dhaugh@tribune.com

[adam]

Sounds odd to me. Why would she say "black friend", like that would make things any different?

[Controlled Chaos]

Sounds odd to me. Why would she say "black friend", like that would make things any different?

That is a strange thing to say. I have plenty of black friends...I have never referred to them as that though.

Although there does seem to be some harrassment here by the police. I mean WTF...every time he is out on the boat he gets stopped for a safety check....seems like some bullshit to me.

[butkusrules]

Sounds odd to me. Why would she say "black friend", like that would make things any different?

 

I think she was trying to convey quickly to her dad what she saw was going on. Otherwise it might have gone Dad these cops are picking on this kid cause we think because they are racist. The cops are white and the kid is black etc. etc Or maybe it was meant to answer his follow up question "why would they be beating up a kid?" Plus who knows how she and her dad spoke with one another. Sometimes the use of certain words or a certain order will mean more to her dad who knows her very well then to a stranger.

Ultimately I don't think its very important in the grand scheme of things.

[AZ54]

It's going to get interesting. We've got pictures and lots of witnesses, including his mother. It doesn't appear this was any kind of a crazy party since his mother was out there, just a group of friends hanging out on the water. I still haven't seen Benson's blood alcohol level. This girl says he only had a couple drinks that wouldn't be enough to put him over the legal limit. Then the fact the LCRA has boarded his boat 6 times recently gives more credibility to Benson's side that he was being harassed. The fact his mother hasn't spoken out about this tells me there's more to this story than what the LCRA have said.

[azbearsfan]

The longer this goes on the worse its going to be for the officers. It already sounds like harassment.

[nfoligno]

I think it may well be important.

 

From the get-go, there have been numerous comments made that allude to prejudice in that area. I went to college about 20 minutes from Austin, and spent nearly every weekend at one bar or another in Austin, and never saw any racism, but I have never been on Lake Travis, and that is where the comments are being made about.

 

WR coach Drake, who was also a coach at Texas, made a comment about knowing how things go on there, and IMHO, was alluding to some racism. Benson, IMHO, alludes to this as well as he talks about how he can not take his boat out w/o being stopped.

 

IMHO, the student likely feels the same way, and when the police (in her belief) were harrassing and attacking her friend, the racism was key in her mind, and thus likely the choice of words.

[nfoligno]

Something that stands out to me is, why does the officer take Benson to the LCRA boat for the test, and not simply perform the test on Benson's boat. I am not sure how many witnesses there truly are, as the girl says herself she could not see what happened, and really just heard. She can be a witness in that the officers claims Benson was loud and cussing, while she seems to indicate nothing could be heard until he was sprayed, which seems to contradict the officers story, but she apparantly could not hear anything.

 

But it still sticks w/ me. Why was Benson taken off his boat for the tests. Before removing him from his boat, would you not first test him to see if it was even necessary? That the officers takes Benson from his boat, and obviously to a position on the LCRA boat outside of the view of witnesses, once again, it just leaves a bad impression IMHO.

[jason]

Sounds odd to me. Why would she say "black friend", like that would make things any different?

 

Seems odd to me also. I think they are colluding to set up some sort of racial case to get Benson out of trouble. Expect to find out some allegedly shady stuff about the arresting officer, and the probability that he dropped the "N-Bomb", allegedly, when in private.

 

Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

 

"It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared."

So, in other words, STFU, you didn't see anything.

 

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

When Benson's boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

Perturbed? Sounds to me like it's very possible that someone had an attitude.

 

If the officers have been on his boat numerous times, then that also needs to be addressed. However, it sounds very likely that Benson had an attitude; his biggest defender even says so.

 

As for why they took him off the boat, an easy answer for me is from the police report. They smelled alcohol on him. Once this was true (if true), then it makes more sense to remove him from his boat, around his friends and family, and in a more controlled environment.

[GrizzlyBear]

Agreed on bad taste,, I truly think that Benson may see a drop in all charges and Public apologie from the Department that that did this. It is not looking good for them for sure. I believe a BAT was not preformed, which bodes well for Benson and a Breathalyzer was not available from what i undertsnad, so its the arresting officials word against 15 people. I would say that will be the tilting factor doe Benson.

[azbearsfan]

Seems odd to me also. I think they are colluding to set up some sort of racial case to get Benson out of trouble. Expect to find out some allegedly shady stuff about the arresting officer, and the probability that he dropped the "N-Bomb", allegedly, when in private.

 

Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

 

"It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared."

So, in other words, STFU, you didn't see anything.

 

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

When Benson's boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

Perturbed? Sounds to me like it's very possible that someone had an attitude.

 

If the officers have been on his boat numerous times, then that also needs to be addressed. However, it sounds very likely that Benson had an attitude; his biggest defender even says so.

 

As for why they took him off the boat, an easy answer for me is from the police report. They smelled alcohol on him. Once this was true (if true), then it makes more sense to remove him from his boat, around his friends and family, and in a more controlled environment.

 

 

Yeah but if it was you and every time you took your boat out they stopped you, wouldn't you get pissed too. I would because that is harassment. And I would absolutely give attitude.

 

Sounds to me like they took him off the boat so there would be no witnesses to what went on.

[nfoligno]

Regarding race, it may sound like BS to you, but that doesn't mean it isn't true. I have pointed to this before, but Drake, who coached at Texas, alluded to this himself when he talked about knowing how things are there. You can argue he is just sticking up for Benson, but it is one thing to stick up for your guy, and another to insinuate prejudice is in play in an area.

 

"It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared."

So, in other words, STFU, you didn't see anything.

 

She didn't see anything because the officer took Benson to an area where they could not be seen. Further, even if she could not see everything, hearing what was going does provide support to one side or the other as well.

 

Besnon has said he was polite, and didn't cuss. The officers indicate he was loudly cussing and resisting arrest. Per the witness, voices could not really be heard until after the pepper spray. This would go against the officers version of Benson yelling cuss words and the such. Further, even after Benson was sprayed, while his words are elevated, he is still using the word please, and again, still no mention of Benson cussing out the offcier.

 

So while she could not see the actions, the words she heard does seem to better corraborate Benson's story/version.

 

However, it sounds very likely that Benson had an attitude; his biggest defender even says so.

 

There is a big difference between being perterbed and being aggressive to the point of pepper spray being necessary.

 

As for why they took him off the boat, an easy answer for me is from the police report. They smelled alcohol on him. Once this was true (if true), then it makes more sense to remove him from his boat, around his friends and family, and in a more controlled environment.

 

I don't see that. It was not some small boat. They could have easily seperated the group of friends from Benson and performed the test on Benson's boat, and done so in a controlled environment. They were on the boat for a safety inspection, which was passed. At that point, Benson has done nothing wrong. Forcing him to leave his boat simply is not right, IMHO.

 

Sorry. I think there is a combo here of your (1) dislike for Benson and (2) blind trust for the officers.

 

If this were DPS, Texas Rangers, or even the Sherrif's office, I might feel different, but this is a wanna be cop organization which simply does not have training equal to that of legit police forces. Heck, I wonder if they even carry guns. I think you are putting too much faith in this authority, and closing your eyes and ears to anything that doesn't seem right, or may not have been done properly.

[LT2_3]

Seems odd to me also. I think they are colluding to set up some sort of racial case to get Benson out of trouble. Expect to find out some allegedly shady stuff about the arresting officer, and the probability that he dropped the "N-Bomb", allegedly, when in private.

 

Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

 

"It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared."

So, in other words, STFU, you didn't see anything.

 

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

When Benson's boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

Perturbed? Sounds to me like it's very possible that someone had an attitude.

 

If the officers have been on his boat numerous times, then that also needs to be addressed. However, it sounds very likely that Benson had an attitude; his biggest defender even says so.

 

As for why they took him off the boat, an easy answer for me is from the police report. They smelled alcohol on him. Once this was true (if true), then it makes more sense to remove him from his boat, around his friends and family, and in a more controlled environment.

 

Jason - I'm not sure this will get past a preliminary trial. I think the key thing will be whether the boat was anchored or not. If the boat was anchored, nobody was driving the boat and therefore nobody can be charged with BWI. I don't think they will be able to sustain a charge.

 

If the witness is correct in that he'd only had 2 drinks. It sounds like he had at least one of them while the boat was anchored. Drinking in and of itself isn't illegal. Getting lippy with a rent-a-cop isn't illegal either.

 

It sounds to me like Benson might have had a bit of an attitude, but that's irrelevant because they had no underlying cause to arrest him. It sounds to me like they are simply trying to justify what they did to him and are calling it "resisting arrest". If the underlying charge doesn't exist, they had no cause to arrest him in the first place. If that's the case, this all goes away and the rent-a-cops are going to look silly.

[adam]

I believe there is a little bit of posturing going on for both sides. I am sure it was not handled right, but at the same time, I am sure Benson wasn't acting like a choir boy either.

 

What I still find odd is that a friend would call her dad and say "black friend", why not say "dad, my friend Cedric is getting beat up by the cops"

[adam]

I think she was trying to convey quickly to her dad what she saw was going on. Otherwise it might have gone Dad these cops are picking on this kid cause we think because they are racist. The cops are white and the kid is black etc. etc Or maybe it was meant to answer his follow up question "why would they be beating up a kid?" Plus who knows how she and her dad spoke with one another. Sometimes the use of certain words or a certain order will mean more to her dad who knows her very well then to a stranger.

Ultimately I don't think its very important in the grand scheme of things.

Benson is a grown man, not a kid. She may be a kid at 22, but not him.

 

Also, it is very important, because if all the authorities were white, he can use the race card.

[DABEARSDABOMB]

I know many of us have questioned Benson's heart and his ability to mingle with teammates and say the right things, but never was he ever really associated with being a partier or having any sort of serious off the field issues.

 

At first when I saw this I was ready to just dump Benson, but the more that comes out the more that I really believe the Bears have to sit there and look at Cedric and say hey, we believe you. That said, they should also lay down the law and tell him we drafted a RB. We feel this way about you (hence why we picked you 4th overall) but the reality is you need to make some changes (come to Chicago and train with Jones and bust your royal ass to get healthy and ready to go for training camp).

 

Basically put, I think the franchise should sit him down (just like any boss would do to an employee) and lay out the expectations the Bears have for him and how they expect him to reach those expectations (ie, training with Rusty Jones, working with the therapist on rehabbing the leg, etc). For all I know the Bears have done that, but from what I've learned about professional sports franchises it is usually foolish to assume so much (I've interviewed about a dozen players in professional sports over the past couple years and one thing that has been surprisingly common is the fact that the organizations usually aren't very clear/upfront with a player regarding where they stand, etc).

[KiLoc69]

Seems odd to me also. I think they are colluding to set up some sort of racial case to get Benson out of trouble. Expect to find out some allegedly shady stuff about the arresting officer, and the probability that he dropped the "N-Bomb", allegedly, when in private.

 

Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

 

 

Wow, Jason. A girl comes forward as a witness to an event and you automatically think it was colluding?

 

So you believe Benson and the girl had this plan of:

 

A)planting her on the boat that day knowing he'd get pulled over like he had the past 6 times he went out

B)enticing these cops into spraying him

C)calling her dad and telling him to call 911 and specifying it was her black friend getting beat up

D)digging up dirt on the cop to make him seem racist

 

 

Look, I'm not saying the girl can't be lying, but why on earth would your first reaction be to think she was? The 911 call should be tangible evidence, and if it exists, seems to give her version of events at least a little credit since it was made THE MOMENT the event occured. Is it possible the 22 year old girl who had a couple of beers had the foresight to have this 911 call made as a possible allibi to a story her and Benson would later agree upon? Sure, that's possible, but c'mon. I'm not saying believe her outright, but your mind seems to already be made up that she is a liar.

 

No offense, but I gotta agree with Nfo. Your dislike of Benson and unwavering willingness to take the LCRA at their word despite legitamite questions about harrasment being raised, seems to be clouding your judgement.

[DrunkBomber]

Wow, Jason. A girl comes forward as a witness to an event and you automatically think it was colluding?

 

So you believe Benson and the girl had this plan of:

 

A)planting her on the boat that day knowing he'd get pulled over like he had the past 6 times he went out

B)enticing these cops into spraying him

C)calling her dad and telling him to call 911 and specifying it was her black friend getting beat up

D)digging up dirt on the cop to make him seem racist

 

 

Look, I'm not saying the girl can't be lying, but why on earth would your first reaction be to think she was? The 911 call should be tangible evidence, and if it exists, seems to give her version of events at least a little credit since it was made THE MOMENT the event occured. Is it possible the 22 year old girl who had a couple of beers had the foresight to have this 911 call made as a possible allibi to a story her and Benson would later agree upon? Sure, that's possible, but c'mon. I'm not saying believe her outright, but your mind seems to already be made up that she is a liar.

 

No offense, but I gotta agree with Nfo. Your dislike of Benson and unwavering willingness to take the LCRA at their word despite legitamite questions about harrasment being raised, seems to be clouding your judgement.

I will admit that the longer this goes on the more I consider him to be telling the truth. However, as you eluded to the part of the story I think is BS is where the girl said she called her dad to call 911. If she was that concerned she would have called 911 herself and this seems kind of fishy.

[jason]

Jason - I'm not sure this will get past a preliminary trial. I think the key thing will be whether the boat was anchored or not. If the boat was anchored, nobody was driving the boat and therefore nobody can be charged with BWI. I don't think they will be able to sustain a charge.

 

If the witness is correct in that he'd only had 2 drinks. It sounds like he had at least one of them while the boat was anchored. Drinking in and of itself isn't illegal. Getting lippy with a rent-a-cop isn't illegal either.

 

It sounds to me like Benson might have had a bit of an attitude, but that's irrelevant because they had no underlying cause to arrest him. It sounds to me like they are simply trying to justify what they did to him and are calling it "resisting arrest". If the underlying charge doesn't exist, they had no cause to arrest him in the first place. If that's the case, this all goes away and the rent-a-cops are going to look silly.

 

The first part I agree with. It won't get past the beginning stages of anything serious. This got big in a hurry, and I'm sure that all involved want to sweep it under the rug.

 

You are correct on the second part as well. Neither drinking or getting mouthy with a cop is illegal. However, I'm sure that there is some sort of loophole in there like public intoxication. I don't buy the two drinks garbage, and it seems unlikely that they would say all the things they said about Benson unless they had something to back it up.

 

The last part is where I think there is the wiggle room. Your "what if" of the boat being anchored could end up making the officers' case moot, but until it's known that the boat was anchored, then I don't think the case can be tossed. Furthermore, people can get DWI/DUI or something similar if they are drunk, sitting in the car, and their keys are in the ignition. I'm sure there has to be something similar for boating. Additionarlly, there is a reason to board the boat and test Benson. There is also a reason to take him off of his boat to administer the tests. If he resisted either, then there is an easy case for resisting arrest, and I have no problem with the officers giving him the pepper-face.

[jason]

Wow, Jason. A girl comes forward as a witness to an event and you automatically think it was colluding?

 

So you believe Benson and the girl had this plan of:

 

A)planting her on the boat that day knowing he'd get pulled over like he had the past 6 times he went out

B)enticing these cops into spraying him

C)calling her dad and telling him to call 911 and specifying it was her black friend getting beat up

D)digging up dirt on the cop to make him seem racist

 

Look, I'm not saying the girl can't be lying, but why on earth would your first reaction be to think she was? The 911 call should be tangible evidence, and if it exists, seems to give her version of events at least a little credit since it was made THE MOMENT the event occured. Is it possible the 22 year old girl who had a couple of beers had the foresight to have this 911 call made as a possible allibi to a story her and Benson would later agree upon? Sure, that's possible, but c'mon. I'm not saying believe her outright, but your mind seems to already be made up that she is a liar.

 

No offense, but I gotta agree with Nfo. Your dislike of Benson and unwavering willingness to take the LCRA at their word despite legitamite questions about harrasment being raised, seems to be clouding your judgement.

 

My point is, this kind of thing happens all the time. It happens even more when professional athletes, or high-profile people are involved. It gets to be more about the people arresting than the people being arrested.

 

Plain and simple, the girl said she didn't see anything. I don't give a shit what she heard. It's perfectly normal for someone to make a scream of some kind when getting pepper sprayed. The other thing that sounds odd to me, and others, is that she randomly threw in the "black friend" thing. Why didn't she just say friend?

 

As for the 911 call, I don't care about that either. People call 911 for everything nowadays. And as far as situations like this go, all you have to do is go to youtube and look at the "don't taze me bro" videos to hear morons yelling at the cops, and claiming abuse/brutality. This is especially true of college-aged kids who think they have a grasp on the law, and believe themselves to be precious little snowflakes who can't be touched/harmed/apprehended, and generally above the law.

 

Your sequence of events is beyond what I think or propose.

A)She was probably just a friend on the boat.

B)The spraying happened, and she didn't see it. It had nothing to do with her being there.

C)Since she said that she didn't see it, I don't see why she thought her friend was being "beat up". Sounds to me like a person who cries wolf the first time they hear anything that disturbs their delicate ears. This is especially true, and understandable, when it's a friend.

D)Once again, the digging up of dirt has nothing to do with her being there. In fact, it has nothing to do with her. However, it will not surprise me in the least if race becomes a factor very soon in this case, as it often does, as a way of confusing the issue.

 

Last but not least, I admit that my dislike for Benson factors into my opinion on the subject; although, I was just about the only one on board (and nfo) saying that the Bears shouldn't draft a RB early. Conversely, I think that the general disdain for police officers, and those in similar positions, by many on this board heavily clouds judgement on the other side.

[jason]

Yeah but if it was you and every time you took your boat out they stopped you, wouldn't you get pissed too. I would because that is harassment. And I would absolutely give attitude.

 

Sounds to me like they took him off the boat so there would be no witnesses to what went on.

 

I guess that's where I differ from you, and others. I'd be pissed, but I wouldn't get lippy or give attitude. I'd simply go along with what was happening, and then calmly report it up the chain when given the opportunity. If that didn't work and the same thing happened the next time, I'd go one step up the chain. Eventually, I'd reach someone who cared enough to do something about it.

 

Your thoughts add another question in my mind...

 

If this happened so frequently, why did the officers go after him on this day, when there were people all throughout his boat, when his mother was there? Wouldn't it have made more sense to get him on a day with less witnesses? I mean, if that's the conspiracy theory, it sure seems like these guys picked one of the worst days ever to start trouble. Furthermore, if this happened as frequently as Benson has stated, why is this the first time someone has heard of this issue? Surely if he were that perturbed, then he would have spoken up before now.

[nfoligno]

Plain and simple, the girl said she didn't see anything. I don't give a shit what she heard.

 

I have addressed this before, but what she heard is relevant, as it IMHO seems to better coincide w/ Benson's version than the cops. The cops version was that Benson basically fought the cop the entire way. Benson was rude, loud and cussing through out most of the situation. If that was so, I think it logical that she would have been able to hear that, but per her testimony, she didn't hear Benson until after he was sprayed. Far from smoking gun evidence in support of Benson, but also relevant. I question your flat dismissing her comments simply because she did not see anything. Have you ever been to a trial? Hearing what a person says is often as important as seeing what a person does.

 

Further, she said her boyfriend, fiance or whatever, took pictures of the situation, and said those pictures will further support Benson's side of the story. No idea yet what those pictures are, but if they do not support Benson's version, do you think she would have mentioned them?

 

It's perfectly normal for someone to make a scream of some kind when getting pepper sprayed.

 

Yes, I am sure it is. But what she heard, yes, heard again, matters. Per the cops, Benson was cussing at this point. Per Benson, he was still using the word please, not cussing, and still trying to be polite. Per the girl, he did in fact use the word please as he asked for his mother to be present. Further, just listen to what she said Benson said. That does not sound like a guy on the attack, but a guy scared due to the situation.

 

The other thing that sounds odd to me, and others, is that she randomly threw in the "black friend" thing. Why didn't she just say friend?

 

While I agree it is odd, at the same time, I would argue it fits in w/ the idea of profiling and prejudice. This was in heat of the moment, as opposed to a day later coming up w/ a defense for a professional athlete.

 

As for the 911 call, I don't care about that either. People call 911 for everything nowadays. And as far as situations like this go, all you have to do is go to youtube and look at the "don't taze me bro" videos to hear morons yelling at the cops, and claiming abuse/brutality. This is especially true of college-aged kids who think they have a grasp on the law, and believe themselves to be precious little snowflakes who can't be touched/harmed/apprehended, and generally above the law.

 

Sure, bogus 911 calls are made all the time. Still, as a part of the rest of the parts, I think it does matter.

 

Regarding prejudices, we all have them at play here. I have no issue w/ police what so ever. I do still like Benson, and thus am more likely willing to look beyond the police report. At the same time, let me say this. When I first heard of the arrest, my thoughts were of Benson acting like a thug, and that he has grown nada since leaving school. Basically, my initial thought was of leinart, but far worse. So while I like Benson, that did not prevent me from automatically slapping blame to him. Then the next day, I read more and more that just seemed "off", and the more time that passes (which has not been much) the more info that comes out that just adds questions.

 

So I admit I have bias, but at the same time, that bias did not prevent me from initially believing he was guilty. Where I question you is, it seems there are quite a few issues at play that are (at minimum) questionable, and yet you do not seem willing to even consider them. A girl comes forward, and you immediately dismiss her. I swear, if she were standing right there and saw (as well as heard) everything, I do not think that would matter to you. For you, it is simple. Cops word v whoever else, and no matter what, you take the cops.

 

And by the way, I have said this before too, but if this were a DPS officer or Texas Ranger, or the like, I might be more inclined to agree w/ you, but LCRA authorities simply do not get blind faith in my eyes.

[butkusrules]

Seems odd to me also. I think they are colluding to set up some sort of racial case to get Benson out of trouble. Expect to find out some allegedly shady stuff about the arresting officer, and the probability that he dropped the "N-Bomb", allegedly, when in private.

 

Sounds like a bunch of BS to me.

 

"It's more what I heard than what I saw. I have never heard or seen Cedric that scared."

So, in other words, STFU, you didn't see anything.

 

The arrival of LCRA police perturbed Benson because of the frequency of the checks on his 30-foot boat, Cartwright said.

When Benson's boat passed the safety inspection, Cartwright said she and her fiance were surprised the officer then required a sobriety test for Benson.

Perturbed? Sounds to me like it's very possible that someone had an attitude.

 

If the officers have been on his boat numerous times, then that also needs to be addressed. However, it sounds very likely that Benson had an attitude; his biggest defender even says so.

 

As for why they took him off the boat, an easy answer for me is from the police report. They smelled alcohol on him. Once this was true (if true), then it makes more sense to remove him from his boat, around his friends and family, and in a more controlled environment.

 

 

Feasibility is less of an issue here then is believability. Sure its possible that things happened like you prescribe but who is going to be more believable in court is what ultimately matters. Ask the cops who got off in New York. what irks me most is the version of the story where they put benson on the boat for the test then drive away out of sight

[azbearsfan]

I guess that's where I differ from you, and others. I'd be pissed, but I wouldn't get lippy or give attitude. I'd simply go along with what was happening, and then calmly report it up the chain when given the opportunity. If that didn't work and the same thing happened the next time, I'd go one step up the chain. Eventually, I'd reach someone who cared enough to do something about it.

 

Your thoughts add another question in my mind...

 

If this happened so frequently, why did the officers go after him on this day, when there were people all throughout his boat, when his mother was there? Wouldn't it have made more sense to get him on a day with less witnesses? I mean, if that's the conspiracy theory, it sure seems like these guys picked one of the worst days ever to start trouble. Furthermore, if this happened as frequently as Benson has stated, why is this the first time someone has heard of this issue? Surely if he were that perturbed, then he would have spoken up before now.

 

 

Really? Well you sure are a patient guy. Somehow, given the personality of your posts, I doubt you wouldn't say something if the same cops stopped you every time out for a "safety" check of your boat.

 

Who knows why officers do what they do? I have two friends that are cops. One is a perfect guy. Polite when he pulls people over and everything. Doesn't break the law.

 

The other guy is one that speeds with his lights on while driving down the street for no reason. Throws attitude at the people he pulls over, because "he can". Basically thinks he is above the law.

 

So just like in life, there are many different types that are cops.

[jason]

I have addressed this before, but what she heard is relevant, as it IMHO seems to better coincide w/ Benson's version than the cops. The cops version was that Benson basically fought the cop the entire way. Benson was rude, loud and cussing through out most of the situation. If that was so, I think it logical that she would have been able to hear that, but per her testimony, she didn't hear Benson until after he was sprayed. Far from smoking gun evidence in support of Benson, but also relevant. I question your flat dismissing her comments simply because she did not see anything. Have you ever been to a trial? Hearing what a person says is often as important as seeing what a person does.

 

Further, she said her boyfriend, fiance or whatever, took pictures of the situation, and said those pictures will further support Benson's side of the story. No idea yet what those pictures are, but if they do not support Benson's version, do you think she would have mentioned them?

 

Yes, I am sure it is. But what she heard, yes, heard again, matters. Per the cops, Benson was cussing at this point. Per Benson, he was still using the word please, not cussing, and still trying to be polite. Per the girl, he did in fact use the word please as he asked for his mother to be present. Further, just listen to what she said Benson said. That does not sound like a guy on the attack, but a guy scared due to the situation.

 

While I agree it is odd, at the same time, I would argue it fits in w/ the idea of profiling and prejudice. This was in heat of the moment, as opposed to a day later coming up w/ a defense for a professional athlete.

 

Sure, bogus 911 calls are made all the time. Still, as a part of the rest of the parts, I think it does matter.

 

Regarding prejudices, we all have them at play here. I have no issue w/ police what so ever. I do still like Benson, and thus am more likely willing to look beyond the police report. At the same time, let me say this. When I first heard of the arrest, my thoughts were of Benson acting like a thug, and that he has grown nada since leaving school. Basically, my initial thought was of leinart, but far worse. So while I like Benson, that did not prevent me from automatically slapping blame to him. Then the next day, I read more and more that just seemed "off", and the more time that passes (which has not been much) the more info that comes out that just adds questions.

 

So I admit I have bias, but at the same time, that bias did not prevent me from initially believing he was guilty. Where I question you is, it seems there are quite a few issues at play that are (at minimum) questionable, and yet you do not seem willing to even consider them. A girl comes forward, and you immediately dismiss her. I swear, if she were standing right there and saw (as well as heard) everything, I do not think that would matter to you. For you, it is simple. Cops word v whoever else, and no matter what, you take the cops.

 

And by the way, I have said this before too, but if this were a DPS officer or Texas Ranger, or the like, I might be more inclined to agree w/ you, but LCRA authorities simply do not get blind faith in my eyes.

 

The highlighted part is the entire issue. I have no problem with people bringing up new evidence, and if she has it, then more power to her. I believe what I see. Until then, I think it just makes a lot more sense to side with officers serving in any legal capacity, than it does to side with Benson. Also, think of this...what do the officers have to gain from this? What do the officers really get out of this? I can easily see how someone would side with their friend, even lie, in order to get their friend out of trouble. After all, snitches get stitches. Why wouldn't someone say something? Furthermore, if there were that many people on the boat, why is it that there is just this lone voice supporting Benson.

 

Other than the fact that Benson disagrees with the officers' side of the story - which isn't all that surprising since nearly every person in prison will tell you they are innocent - and Benson has a single "witness" come out to talk about what she heard, I don't see the "few issues at play that are (at minimum) questionable". Hell, I'd say that's par for the course.