Cedric Benson Denies Wrongdoing and Accuses Police of Mistreating Him
May 5, 2008
Filed under: Bears, NFC North, Chicago, NFL Police Blotter
According to the police officers who arrested him for boating while intoxicated, Cedric Benson was argumentative and threatening which led them to pepper spray him and add resisting arrest to his rap sheet. Benson is being disagreeable with the police, all right, and says that all the charges against him are completely bogus.
He said that while there was alcohol on the boat, he wasn’t intoxicated and felt that he passed the field sobriety test administered on the boat. He claimed he wasn’t argumentative, just questioning, when police said he needed to return to land for more tests and, when they did get to land, the police escalated things.
Benson also claims he’s a target for police looking for a big name, since he’s been questioned by authorities six times in the year he’s owned the boat.
Bears coach Lovie Smith said he was “disappointed” but would wait for more information before acting. Any action from the team would presumably be later in coming as well. The Bears famously parted ways with Tank Johnson after an arrest but that was after several indiscretions. Benson had some legal issues while in college but has confined his screwups to the field since coming to Chicago.
The NFL has a very liberal sliding scale when it comes to off-field trouble, the reason why Johnson got so many chances. Look no further than the way the Pittsburgh Steelers handled two domestic violence cases this year. Cedrick Wilson, a backup wideout, was cut immediately while All-Pro linebacker James Harrison will be wearing a Steeler uniform this season. Benson is somewhere between those two players but the Bears need reasons to keep Benson, not more ammunition for cutting him loose.
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