Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett, brother of Packers tight end Martellus Bennett, has been vocal about why he chooses to kneel during the national anthem.
On Wednesday, he explained his stance further by sharing a powerful story in which he accused the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department of racial profiling and excessive force.
Bennett said he was in Las Vegas for the Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor on August 26. He was heading back to his hotel when people heard what sounded like gun shots and began running from the area, Bennett explained.
After running from the scene, an officer ordered him to get on the ground and allegedly placed a gun near his head, Bennett's social media post said.
"All I could think of was 'I'm going to die for no other reason than I am black and my skin color is somehow a threat,'" he wrote.
Bennett accused a second officer of jamming his knee into Bennett's back, and both officers of cinching the handcuffs on his wrists "so tight that [his] fingers went numb."
"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 press conference Wednesday afternoon, Las Vegas Metro Police said they were responding to a possible active shooter at the Cromwell Casino.
Officers believed Bennett may have been involved in the incident because he ran from the scene, they said. They did take him into custody for about 10 minutes.
"I see no evidence that race played any role in this incident," the officer said.
They are currently reviewing more than 100 videos related to this incident, police explained.
However, the officer accused of pointing a gun at Bennett's head did not have his body camera on, the officer said.
"If the investigation reveals that any policies were violated, those officers will be held accountable," a Las Vegas Metro Police officer said.
Bennett said in his social media post that he has "retained Oakland Civil Rights Attorney John Burris to investigate and explore all [his] legal options."
"Equality doesn't live in this country," he said.
He said he could file a civil rights lawsuit for violation of his constitutional rights.
Read Bennett's full letter below:
