AUSTIN, Texas - The truth about what happened to Bears running back Cedric Benson aboard his motorboat Saturday night on Lake Travis—whether he was drunk and disorderly, as the police who arrested him allege, or whether he was harassed and abused by the authorities, as Benson asserts—eventually may emerge inside a courtroom.
But what's already clear is Benson, by choosing to park his boat inside the lake's most popular cove for drinking and partying, placed himself at the center of an ongoing police crackdown on drunken boaters along the 64-mile-long lake, which was formed by a dam along the Colorado River and ranks among the most pristine bodies of water in all of Texas.
Alarmed by a spate of 22 boating fatalities in the last three years—more than half of which involved alcohol—enforcement officers of the Lower Colorado River Authority and four other area police agencies have stepped up their weekend lake patrols and the random safety inspections that give them a pretext to check the sobriety of boat operators.
Devil's Cove, also known to Lake Travis regulars as "the party cove," long has been a particular focus of the authorities because of the hundreds of boaters who pack into the 300-yard long niche each weekend to lash their vessels together into giant floating party rafts.
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05-08-2008, 5:08 PM19820518 -
HotepSuns
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Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
Ok i've sat back,and watched all the media coverage of this incident that happened with cedric benson in texas on his boat....now when first reported,i'm sure most people thought "just another black athlete thugging it"...even after cedric benson's explination i know most people probably didn't believe him,and thought he was making up excuses....now yesterday one of his WHITE FRIENDS a female that was actually on the boat,and heard what happened,and was scared for benson,so much so to the point that she called her father to dial 911,because her "black friend " was getting fucked up....now all of this is coming almost immediately after the atrocious decision in the sean bell case,and espn,or really anyone that i've seen hasn't really spoken upon this epidemic in this country...POLICE BRUTALITY....and i really don't want to hear the excuse,that they need to get all the facts...the facts seem to be pretty fucking clear..from the witness backing up what cedric said happened... to the police report filed by the officer who's defense was cedric was so big powerful,and black,and could have easily snapped his neck,so he had to mase him,and fuck him up for his own protection...yet it turns out they were basically targeting cedric the entire time...
and yet nothing.....nobody even gives a fuck...the same with sean bell the country doesn't give a fuck...no outrage,no nothing....this country was ready to start world war 3 over mike vick fighting some fucking dogs...but if black people are getting brutalized,and murdered on the streets by the police...OH WELL.....and this is the country in which we all put our faith?
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05-08-2008, 5:22 PM
19820757 in reply to 19820518 -
DarkMan M
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
You just now realizing the facts of this shit?
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05-08-2008, 5:29 PM
19820990 in reply to 19820518 Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
HotepSuns:Ok i've sat back,and watched all the media coverage of this incident that happened with cedric benson in texas on his boat....now when first reported,i'm sure most people thought "just another black athlete thugging it"...even after cedric benson's explination i know most people probably didn't believe him,and thought he was making up excuses....now yesterday one of his WHITE FRIENDS a female that was actually on the boat,and heard what happened,and was scared for benson,so much so to the point that she called her father to dial 911,because her "black friend " was getting fucked up....now all of this is coming almost immediately after the atrocious decision in the sean bell case,and espn,or really anyone that i've seen hasn't really spoken upon this epidemic in this country...POLICE BRUTALITY....and i really don't want to hear the excuse,that they need to get all the facts...the facts seem to be pretty fucking clear..from the witness backing up what cedric said happened... to the police report filed by the officer who's defense was cedric was so big powerful,and black,and could have easily snapped his neck,so he had to mase him,and fuck him up for his own protection...yet it turns out they were basically targeting cedric the entire time...
and yet nothing.....nobody even gives a fuck...the same with sean bell the country doesn't give a fuck...no outrage,no nothing....this country was ready to start world war 3 over mike vick fighting some fucking dogs...but if black people are getting brutalized,and murdered on the streets by the police...OH WELL.....and this is the country in which we all put our faith?
Cosign
"Either they don't know, don't show or don't care about what's going on in the hood."
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05-08-2008, 6:05 PM
19821421 in reply to 19820757 -
HotepSuns
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
DarkMan M:You just now realizing the facts of this shit?never that my dude...i am fully aware of how this country works...but i don't think a lot of other people are,as they are always defending all these ridiculous things that happen to black people CONSTANTLY...
also i was just so disgusted by john clayton's planters peanut man looking ass when this first was reported,saying the bears should just release him,because he's a problem,and hasn't been productive,and this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of him....i wanted to choke life out that dude for saying some ridiculous shit like that...than after the eye witness account backing up cedric's story,he backs off that.....basically i'm just thoroughly disgusted with our justice system,and the media...but what's new?
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05-08-2008, 7:34 PM
19821925 in reply to 19821690 -
Johnny Too Good
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
Clay:Media is always trying to make athletes look bad and fuck up reputations.
And SMH at the girl referring to Benson as her "Black Friend"
I was thinkin the same thing when I first heard that on espn, do white folks actually refer to blacks like that? why didnt she just say her friend or his name?
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05-08-2008, 11:15 PM
19823077 in reply to 19821925 Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
That's where Benson's new 31.5-foot, $147,000 motorboat—an average-sized vessel on a lake teeming with huge houseboats and yachts—was parked Saturday night when an LCRA officer approached and asked to perform a random safety inspection.
What happened next is the subject of sharp dispute. LCRA officials say Benson, 25, failed a field sobriety test, resisted complying with the officer's requests and had to be pepper-sprayed to be restrained. He was transported to a nearby marina and charged with resisting arrest and boating while intoxicated.
But Benson, a former University of Texas football star who owns a home in the hills overlooking Austin assessed at $1.4 million, insists he was not drunk and did not resist the officer. Instead, he has accused the authorities of pepper-spraying him without provocation, dragging him from the patrol boat and nearly drowning him with a water hose before dumping him into a waiting police car. He says family members and friends who were aboard his boat can vouch for his version of events.
One passenger on the boat, Elizabeth Cartwright, told the Tribune on Tuesday night that she didn't believe Benson was drunk and that she and her fiance, also a passenger, were surprised when an officer required a sobriety test. She also disputed Benson was resisting arrest.
At the Emerald Point Marina, a dock across the lake from Devil's Cove where LCRA police brought Benson for transport, an employee of a boat rental company said he witnessed part of the incident Saturday night but declined to offer any details.
At the spot where the employee said Benson was removed from the police boat, there is no water hose, although a small garden hose is visible next to a boat slip about 30 yards away.
LCRA officials say they will not release any details about the Benson incident, beyond an arrest affidavit that was made public earlier this week, because Benson's first court hearing is pending for May 19.
But they deny police abused Benson or that he was singled out for special scrutiny.
"It's routine to stop people on the water for safety checks," said Krista Umscheid, an LCRA spokeswoman. "It's not based on anything in particular that people are doing. The officers are not required to have probable cause to do an inspection."
Each weekend, the LCRA deploys three or four patrol boats in the most heavily used sections of Lake Travis to make safety checks, respond to medical emergencies, rescue stricken boats and watch for drunken operators, Umscheid said.
In 2007, LCRA officers—who are armed and fully licensed police—conducted 839 random safety inspections, issued 149 citations and made three arrests for boating while intoxicated, official figures show. So far in 2008, the officers have performed 184 safety inspections, issued 47 citations and arrested two people for boating while intoxicated, one of whom was Benson.
Several boaters randomly interviewed Tuesday evening on Lake Travis said the LCRA officers generally are respected as responsible law enforcement officers who prefer to issue warnings rather than citations when they see violations to avoid spoiling recreational experiences for people.
Although the City of Austin Police Department has been the subject of scrutiny over racial-profiling complaints in recent years, no such complaints have been made about the LCRA police, according to the Texas ACLU and other civil rights watchdog groups.
LCRA statistics indicate that of 457 total arrests made by LCRA police between 2004 and 2008, 94 percent of those arrested were white, 2.2 percent black, 2 percent Asian and the rest were unclassified.
hwitt@tribune.comLOL@ her black friend, I bet she's all proud of herself because she has a "black friend."
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05-09-2008, 4:17 AM
19824349 in reply to 19823077 Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
Hey they might be Chicago Bears' fans man and mad that Benson wuz their first pick a couple years ago and that hes trash..........you never know I wanna fight Sebastian Telfair becuz he sucks ass but anyways man im not even gon front the police has been wilding lately but they scared to do something in Chicago them niggas over there aint bullshittin I bet u hear about a cop gettin killed in the Chi-town before u hear about a black being beaten them niggas in the Chi cut from a different cloth
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05-09-2008, 8:00 AM
19824856 in reply to 19824349 -
PelicanBrief
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
I had thought the worst upon hearing this.. but i neglected the fact to remember that there are two sides to every story.. Benson's story seems a lil more believeable to me..
I did lol at the police claiming that he was drunk due to slurred/mumbled speech... I had to stop and wonder if he has ever seen or heard a Cedric Benson interview... thats just the way he talks
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05-09-2008, 8:30 AM
19824931 in reply to 19821421 -
oakboyreppa
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
HotepSuns: DarkMan M:You just now realizing the facts of this shit?never that my dude...i am fully aware of how this country works...but i don't think a lot of other people are,as they are always defending all these ridiculous things that happen to black people CONSTANTLY...
also i was just so disgusted by john clayton's planters peanut man looking ass when this first was reported,saying the bears should just release him,because he's a problem,and hasn't been productive,and this is the perfect opportunity to get rid of him....i wanted to choke life out that dude for saying some ridiculous shit like that...than after the eye witness account backing up cedric's story,he backs off that.....basically i'm just thoroughly disgusted with our justice system,and the media...but what's new?
yeah i been saying that shit too.. atleat wait till shit play out and ALL the facts come out before the espn anyalist start playing "commissioner" and throwing players careers away... they know they have the power of influence and they are using it for evil. And its obvious the media is tied into the government cuz they are treating us just as bad as they do
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05-09-2008, 4:19 PM
19828445 in reply to 19821690 -
Big_Chris67
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
Clay:Media is always trying to make athletes look bad and fuck up reputations.
And SMH at the girl referring to Benson as her "Black Friend"
Every female that was on the boat with him was white!!! The only black female that was on the boat was his mom. But it looks like he's going to get off cause another witness (a guy) has popped up and is saying the Police went overboard and Benson wasn't doing anything.
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05-09-2008, 4:32 PM
19828548 in reply to 19828445 -
HotepSuns
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
Big_Chris67: Clay:Media is always trying to make athletes look bad and fuck up reputations.
And SMH at the girl referring to Benson as her "Black Friend"
Every female that was on the boat with him was white!!! The only black female that was on the boat was his mom. But it looks like he's going to get off cause another witness (a guy) has popped up and is saying the Police went overboard and Benson wasn't doing anything.and this is what i'm talking about...still no outrage at the fact that one of the nfl's own was brutalized by the police..even though it's becoming more,and more apparent that's what happened...again i hate to beat a dead horse..but with every piece of info about mike vick's involvement into the dog fighting ring it was plastered everywhere....this story however has been pushed to the back of the bus...pun intended
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05-09-2008, 4:51 PM
19828691 in reply to 19828548 -
CarolinaSlim
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
It's just like the media portrayal of Sean Taylor after his murder... Punk dudes like Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio were all over the place saying stuff like, "he had it coming", "it's because of his lifestyle" and crap like that. Then when they find out it was some lil punk niggaz trying to rob his crib, everyone gets a case of lockjaw and can't find it in themselves to offer a little apology statement. So I'm not entirely surprised by this. -
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05-09-2008, 5:13 PM
19828863 in reply to 19828691 -
copperkid27
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
CarolinaSlim:It's just like the media portrayal of Sean Taylor after his murder... Punk dudes like Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio were all over the place saying stuff like, "he had it coming", "it's because of his lifestyle" and crap like that. Then when they find out it was some lil punk niggaz trying to rob his crib, everyone gets a case of lockjaw and can't find it in themselves to offer a little apology statement. So I'm not entirely surprised by this.i remember that shit being said even before the full story was out and no one was clear on what happened and who did it. smh
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05-09-2008, 6:20 PM
19829328 in reply to 19828863 -
HotepSuns
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
Report: Benson hires new attorney; witness says arrest 'ludicrous'
Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson has hired a prominent defense attorney to help him fight charges of drunken boating and resisting arrest in Texas.
"I do not believe that Cedric was intoxicated when his boat was boarded by the [Lower Colorado River Authority] officers for a safety inspection," Benson's new lawyer, Sam Bassett, said Thursday in an e-mail, the Chicago Tribune reported. "I also am concerned that the force used by the LCRA officers, particularly the use of pepper spray, was not necessary under the circumstances."
Benson was arrested Saturday after LCRA officers patrolling Lake Travis, near Austin, stopped Benson's boat for a safety check.
According to the police report, Benson had bloodshot eyes, a "strong" alcohol odor and slurred speech when his boat was stopped. Benson has denied he was intoxicated or that he resisted law enforcement and will fight the charges against him.
On Thursday, another witness to the arrest supported claims by Benson and a friend that Benson was mistreated by police.
Tony Patch, who was not a passenger on Benson's boat, told WXAN-TV in Austin that he saw LCRA police "manhandling" Benson.
"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 said, according to the report.
"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, according to the report. "It was uncalled for, it was ludicrous, no point for it."
Earlier this week, Elizabeth Cartwright, a passenger on Benson's boat, said she did not believe Benson was intoxicated when he was arrested and that he did not resist officers, according to the Tribune. Cartwright, a University of Texas student and friend from Benson's days at Texas, called her father and asked him to dial 911.
Cartwright said that she had been a passenger on Benson's boat about six times this year -- and that every time, LCRA officers had approached Benson's boat for a random safety check, according to the report. Earlier this week, LCRA officials said they had stepped up patrols in the area where Benson's boat was stopped in response to a recent increase in fatal boating accidents involving alcohol.
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."
After failing sobriety tests applied by Snyder, who works with the Lower Colorado River Authority, Snyder wrote that Benson refused to come ashore for additional tests and "stood up from the position where I had him seated and suggested I could not tell him what to do."
Bassett gained national attention in his defense of Colton Pitonyak, who was convicted last year in the gruesome murder of University of Texas student Jennifer Cave.
"There is a lot of work left to be done, and I am not privy to all information regarding the case at this juncture," Bassett said, according to the Tribune. "Cedric is interested in focusing on football right now, and we will work hard for him while he prepares for the season."
Benson is in Chicago and has not commented since Sunday night, when he said he was innocent and had been mistreated by police. Benson faces a May 19 court date -- the first day of Bears "organized team activities" -- but he does not have to be present in court.
Benson had previously been represented in the case by Brian Carney, a friend and supporter from Benson's home town of Midland, Texas. Midland is about 300 miles from Austin.
FUCK THE POLICE...
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05-09-2008, 8:02 PM
19829974 in reply to 19829328 -
LoonY ToonZ
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
no one cares because Benson sucks and will be out of the league once his contract is up.
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05-09-2008, 8:57 PM
19830220 in reply to 19829974 -
busayo
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Re: Why Is There Not More Outrage From ESPN Over Cedric Benson
cedric benson burned bridges with the media. the guy isn't liked by many sports journalist. i for one am not a fan. cedric benson would make a good 3rd down back for another team. -
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