Don’t expect Michael Bennett to stand for the national anthem anytime soon.
The Seattle Seahawks defensive end posted a lengthy statement to Twitter on Wednesday, claiming he was a victim of excessive police force on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas following the Conor McGregor-Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight. In the post, Bennett describes a scene where he was heading back to his hotel after the fight, at which point sounds of potential gun shots rang through the streets.
Bennett then claims police officers singled him out, pointed guns at him and ordered him to the ground, all for “simply being a black man.” Read the full statement below:
(Warning: there is some explicit language in the post.)
Bennett, like many NFL players, currently elects to sit during the national anthem prior to games in protest of social inequality. Furthermore, he’s said he plans to continue doing so during the upcoming season.
And if his claims against the Las Vegas Police Department are true, it’s hard to imagine him ceasing his protest in the near future.
Thumbnail photo via Joe Nicholson/USA TODAY Sports Images
