Authorities issued a warrant Friday for the arrest of three-time Pro Bowl defensive end Michael Bennett LeSean McCoy Jersey , who is accused of injuring a paraplegic woman as he tried get onto the field at last year's Super Bowl to celebrate with his brother.
The Harris County district attorney's office said a grand jury indicted the 32-year-old Bennett, acquired earlier this month by the Philadelphia Eagles, on a felony count of injury to the elderly.
Bennett was a spectator at the game at NRG Stadium in Houston in February 2017 when he tried to get onto the field immediately afterward to see his brother, Martellus Bennett, a tight end for the Patriots at the time. Prosecutors allege he pushed through security personnel, including a 66-year-old woman in a wheelchair who was a stadium employee and who had told him to use a different entrance to access the field. Bennett is also accused of pushing two other people, including another woman, and ignoring a request by a police officer to stop as he made his way onto the field.
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."
Acevedo called Bennett "morally bankrupt" for pushing the two women. Police said the disabled woman suffered a sprained shoulder when she was allegedly pushed by Bennett Deion Sanders Jersey , hitting the back of her 800-pound, motorized wheelchair.
"Mr. Bennett may think that because he's an NFL player and some time passed ... he may have thought that, number one, rules don't apply to him, number two, he doesn't have to respect the dignity of a paraplegic woman who's trying to earn a living," Acevedo said at a news conference.
Acevedo said a detective did not actively start working the case until September because the police department had prioritized more serious cases.
The charge of injury to the elderly can be filed if a person intentionally or knowingly causes injury to a person 65 or older. It carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. County authorities say they're talking with Bennett's legal team about surrendering on the charge.
The Eagles acquired Bennett from the Seattle Seahawks, where he became one of the dominant defensive linemen in the game. Bennett had 8 陆 sacks last season and has 54 in his nine-year career. Bennett has three years remaining on his contract, with a base salary of just $1.65 million in 2018. That number jumps to $6 million in 2019 and $7.5 million in 2020.
"We are aware of the situation involving Michael Bennett and are in the process of gathering more information Jessie Bates III Jersey ," the Eagles said. "Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time."
Bennett's agent, Doug Hendrickson, did not respond to a message seeking comment Friday. Danny Shelton always ended his interviews with a smile and saying, ”Go Browns!”
It was the Browns turn to say, ”Go Danny!”
New Cleveland general manager John Dorsey continued to wheel and deal on Saturday by agreeing to send Shelton, a former first-round draft pick, to the New England Patriots for a third-round pick in 2019, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
Dorsey, who struck three major deals Friday Charles Tapper Jersey , also sent a 2018 fifth-round pick to the Patriots, said the person who spoke on condition of anonymity because teams can’t finalize trades until the new league year begins Wednesday.
Shelton is the latest first-round draft pick to be dumped by the Browns, whose inability to choose good players in recent years is at the heart of the team’s woeful record. Cleveland went 0-16 last season and is an embarrassing 4-44 in the past three seasons.
Since 2010, the Browns have selected 13 players in the first round, and only four remain with the team.
Shelton was selected with the No. 12 overall pick in 2015. The 6-foot-2, 335-pounder, who starred in college at Washington, started 45 of 46 games in three seasons with Cleveland and the team seemed pleased with his progress against the run.
But he didn’t make as many big plays as the team hoped and Shelton played out of position last season when Cleveland switched from a 3-4 defensive scheme to a 4-3 front and he was no longer playing over the center.
Shelton’s departure may give more playing time to Larry Ogunjobi, a third-round pick last year who made one start and finished with 32 tackles and a sack in 14 games.
Dorsey’s remake of the Browns isn’t over.
On Friday, he sent shockwaves across the NFL with three major deals Jake Fisher Jersey , acquiring quarterback Tyrod Taylor from Buffalo, wide receiver Jarvis Landry from Miami and cornerback Damarious Randall from Green Bay. He also traded quarterback DeShone Kizer to the Packers, a move that could impact the Browns’ plans in free agency and the upcoming draft.
Dorsey had been expected to target a veteran quarterback in free agency, but Taylor’s arrival could change that unless Cleveland wants to bring in another experienced player to compete for the job. Either way, the Browns are likely to take a quarterback with the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft.
Dorsey’s whirlwind of deals over the past two days may have been prompted by a concern that free agents would be afraid to sign with the Browns because of the team’s struggles and constant turnover.
And while Dorsey has parted with three draft picks in the past two days, he has added talent without touching any of the five picks Cleveland has in the first two rounds this year.