HOUSTON (WPVI) —

Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro defensive end Michael Bennett surrendered to authorities in Houston on a charge that he injured a paraplegic woman as he tried to get onto the field after last year’s Super Bowl to celebrate with his brother.

Bennett made a brief court appearance Monday where the judge set his bond at $10,000 on a felony count of injury to the elderly. He is now is free on bond.

After the hearing his attorney, Rusty Hardin, said neither the district attorney nor the police have the whole story.

“If you look at this guy’s career, personality, his family, he would never assault an elderly person, a disabled person,” Hardin said.

A release from the district attorney’s office states that Bennett was a spectator and in Houston to watch his brother, then a player for the New England Patriots, on Feb. 5, 2017. After the game, Bennett allegedly shoved his way onto the field, where players were gathering to celebrate, according to the DA’s office.
NRG security personnel, including a 66-year-old paraplegic woman, told Bennett he had to use a different entrance for field access, but the defensive end pushed through them, including the woman.

Speaking at a news conference Friday, Houston Police chief Art Acevedo said Bennett allegedly told the people he had pushed, “You all must know who I am, and I can own this (expletive). I’m going down to the field, whether you like it or not.”

The woman suffered a sprained shoulder, according to Acevedo.

The injury to the elderly charge includes intentionally and knowingly causing bodily injury to a person 65 years or older and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

“Mr. Bennett might think that he’s an NFL player, and at that time and place, he thinks he doesn’t have to answer to police officer. I’m proud of the fact our department took the time to investigate this thoroughly,” Acevedo said.
Acevedo said a detective did not actively start working the case until September because the police department had prioritized more serious cases. There is no video of the alleged incident, according to Acevedo.

The Eagles said they are aware of the situation and gathering more information. A spokesman for the NFL said the league is looking into the matter.

Bennett was traded from the Seattle Seahawks to the Eagles along with a seventh-round pick on March 14 for a fifth-round pick and wide receiver Marcus Johnson.

Eagles executive vice president of football operations Howie Roseman, speaking at the NFL owners meeting in Orlando, Florida, said the team did not find out about the alleged incident until Friday, when the indictment was announced.

Roseman expressed full trust in the Seahawks organization and general manager John Schneider, dismissing any notion that Seattle might have withheld information, and said it was important to let the legal process play out.

“I think we’re in a great country, and in this country, people are presumed innocent, and I think we have to be fair about that in all these matters,” Roseman said. “I don’t think it’s fair in any situation to not give people the right to present their side. I don’t want to get into this, but our overriding philosophy on things are people are innocent until proven guilty.”

Roseman stressed that the Eagles do thorough background work on players before bringing them in, a process that includes talking to current members of the team about their experiences with that player. The feedback they received on Bennett, Roseman said, was positive.

“What we found out is that he is a good teammate. They like playing with him,” Roseman said. “Some of our players have been with him in the Pro Bowl; some of our players had trained with him, and we rely on information like that. Obviously, he came to our facility and we had a chance to sit down with him and talk to him.”

Roseman said the team has been in contact with Bennett since the alleged incident came to light.

—–
Send a News Tip to Action News
Learn More About 6abc Apps

Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Michael Bennett turned himself in after being charged with a felony stemming from an incident at last year’s Super Bowl, ESPN reported.

Bennett was charged with injury to the elderly after being accused of knocking over a 66-year-old paraplegic female security guard while trying to get to the postgame celebration on the field.

What happened?

According to the district attorney’s office, Bennett was at Super Bowl LI in Houston in 2017 to watch his brother, Martellus, who was a member of the New England Patriots.

The Patriots beat the Falcons for the championship, and Bennett allegedly shoved his way onto the field through security personnel who were telling him he had to access the field another way.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said Bennett told security, “You all must know who I am, and I can own the motherf***er. I’m going down to the field, whether you like it or not.”

The woman Bennett is charged with harming suffered a sprained shoulder in the incident.

Bennett was released after posting $10,000 bail.

Has Bennett responded?

Bennett hasn’t commented publicly, but his lawyer fully denied the alleged crime took place.

“He just flat-out didn’t do it,” attorney Rusty Hardin said. “It wasn’t a case of, ‘He didn’t shove her that hard,’ or anything like that. … He never touched her.”

What did the police say?

Acevedo called Bennett “morally bankrupt,” “morally corrupt,” and said it was “pretty pathetic that you’d put your hands on a 66-year-old paraplegic and treat them like they don’t exist.

It’s not certain whether there is video of the incident, although Deadspin reported that Houston police did not review any video in its investigation, and the case is based on recollection of an officer who was present.

Bennett’s relationship with police

Bennett has been one of the NFL’s most vocal players on the subject of police violence against minorities.

He was also involved in an incident last fall in which he was mistaken for a gunman in Las Vegas and briefly detained by police.

Bennett claimed he was threatened and racially profiled during that encounter, but police deny any wrongdoing and video does not clearly show that Bennett was threatened. He was released once they confirmed there was not the gunman and that Bennett had done nothing wrong.

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Michael Bennett, a defensive end for the Philadelphia Eagles, was taken into police custody after appearing in a Harris County courtroom Monday afternoon for an indictment.

Bennett, 32, is facing a third-degree felony charge following allegations he injured a 66-year-old and wheelchair-bound NRG security guard during Superbowl LI in 2017. A Harris County grand jury indicted Bennett on Friday.

The judge set his bond at $10,000 and instructed Bennett to have no contact with the victim.

The NFL player came to Houston to watch his younger brother Martellus Bennett of the New England Patriots. Investigators claim the older Bennett shoved the victim while making his way to the field for the post-game celebration along with several other player families and friends.

NRG security personnel told Bennett he would have to use a different entrance for field access. Bennett allegedly ignored the employees’ request and pushed his way through security, shoving people— including the elderly woman who was part of the security team.

[RAW VIDEO: Michael Bennett’s attorney Rusty Hardin speaks after player taken into custody]

“When this is all over, everybody will no that Michael is not guilty— he didn’t do this,” Bennett’s attorney Rusty Hardin said. “The furthest from anybody’s imagination; if you look at this guys career, his personality, his family, he would never assault — not only an elderly person — but any disabled person.”

The attorney added the Houston Police Department and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office do not have the entire story.

“I’m not going to fault the DA’s office for that at all. They presented what they have to a grand jury, but they didn’t have everything,” Hardin said.

Bennett has been charged with injury to the elderly, which includes intentionally and knowingly causing bodily injury to a person 65 years or older. The offense carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison a $10,000 fine.

NFL star Michael Bennett surrendered to police Monday after being indicted by a Texas grand jury on the charge of injury to an elderly woman at the Super Bowl. After the New England Patriots’ historic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, Bennett could not have been happier to see his brother, Martellus, win a Super Bowl, and wanted to join him on the field. Cops say Michael Bennett, 32, pushed a 66-year-old woman in a wheelchair out of the way to get to the field.