Philadelphia Eagles DE Michael Bennett indicted: 3 serious questions
Michael Bennett’s been indicted, and the Philadelphia Eagles defensive end agrees to turn himself following a bizarre chain of events.
One of the newest members of the Philadelphia Eagles, defensive end Michael Bennett, has been indicted on felony charges in Texas, and he’s agreed to turn himself in. Following the decision by a grand jury, a warrant was issued for his arrest. This, according to the district attorney of Harris County, Texas, comes in relation to an alleged incident at NRG Stadium following Super Bowl LI.
Rusty Hardin is a member of Bennett’s legal team, and he told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Bennett is currently out of the continental United States and will surrender when he returns.
Once this became known by most of the general public, the Eagles organization issued a statement:
Eagles Statement on Michael Bennett: We are aware of the situation involving Michael Bennett and are in the process of gathering more information. Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) March 23, 2018
Act One: What happened exactly?
The charges stem from an incident in February of 2017, when Bennett was in Houston to see his brother play in the NFL’s 52nd Super Bowl. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office claims Bennett shoved his way onto the field following the game’s conclusion after being told by NRG security personnel to use another entrance to gain access. Bennett ignored those instructions, and in the process, a 66-year-old paraplegic woman, who was working to help control the crowd, sustained injuries to her shoulder.
In a news conference on Friday, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Bennett allegedly told security, “You all must know who I am. I can own this (expletive). I’m going down to the field, whether you like it or not.”
It appears they, indeed, knew who he was after all. The charge, injury to the elderly, is defined as intentionally and knowingly causing bodily injury to a person who is 65 years or older. It carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.