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NFL star claims he was victim of ‘abusive conduct’ by Las Vegas police

by John Bowden - 09/06/17 12:43 PM ET

Seattle Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett says he’s considering a lawsuit against police officers in Las Vegas who handcuffed him after last month’s blockbuster boxing match between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor.

Bennett accused Las Vegas police of threatening to “blow his f—— head off” and racially profiling him after police apparently heard gunshots in the area outside the fight venu, which had just let out at the time of the incident. Video of the incident obtained by TMZ shows Bennett being handcuffed on the ground.

“Las Vegas police officers singled me out and pointed their guns at me for doing nothing more than simply being a black man in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Bennett wrote in a statement released on Twitter.

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He added that he was placed in handcuffs and put in a police cruiser before officers realized they were dealing with a famous NFL player.

“They apparently realized I was not a thug, common criminal or ordinary black man but Michael Bennett a famous professional football player,” he added.

Bennett linked his reported mistreatment to his decision to sit during the national anthem before football games. Bennett received words of support from Colin Kaepernick, the NFL quarterback who many have argued has been blackballed by the league over his support for the Black Lives Matter movement and his protests during the national anthem. Bennett has been sitting on the bench during the national anthem since before the 2017 preseason opener.

“This fact is unequivocally, without question why before every game, I sit during the national anthem — because equality doesn’t live in this country and no matter how much money you make, what job title you have, or how much you give, when you are seen as a ‘N—–,’ you will be treated that way,” he said.

“This violation that happened against my Brother Michael Bennett is disgusting and unjust. I stand with Michael and I stand with the people,” Kaepernick responded on Twitter.