Posted on 05/04/2008 2:06:42 PM PDT by mainepatsfan
Bears' Benson charged with boating while intoxicated, resisting arrest
ESPN.com news services
Updated: May 4, 2008, 4:00 PM ET
AUSTIN, Texas -- Chicago Bears running back Cedric Benson failed a sobriety test while operating a 30-foot boat, then resisted arrest before being hit with pepper spray and dragged ashore by officers.
Benson faces charges of boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest after the incident Saturday night on Lake Travis, Travis County Sheriff's Department spokesman Roger Wade said.
Both charges are misdemeanors.
Benson was released from jail early Sunday on a $14,500 bond. A call to Benson's agent was not immediately returned.
Benson was operating the boat with 15 passengers aboard when he was stopped by a Lower Colorado River Authority officer for a random safety inspection. He failed a field sobriety test on the officer's boat and was uncooperative when the officer tried to take him ashore, the authority said.
"When Benson did not pass the test, he presented himself as a threat to the officer and argued about whether or not he would be taken to land to have a follow-up field sobriety test performed on land and refused to put on a life jacket," the authority said in a statement.
The officer had to use pepper spray to subdue Benson. He then refused to leave the officer's boat and authorities had to drag him to a car to be taken to the Travis County jail, the authority said.
Chicago coach Lovie Smith said he's still trying to figure out exactly what happened.
(Excerpt) Read more at sports.espn.go.com ...
He drives his boat as well as he rushes. Of course as a Packer fan I’d have to say this is Schadenfreude.
15 passengers on ANY 30’ boat is overloaded.
Texas sure puts out some model citizens.
Arkansas has put out some of their own model citizens!
Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88
Yeah, we did give the Clintons to the world, so that’s true.
The officers had to use force, maybe justified. I dunno, I wasn’t there, I was at a friends house, the check is in the mail.
Whenever that happens you can be sure that the police report is full of creative writing skills.
Don’t believe everything you read in the paper. The prosecutors will downgrade it and he’ll pay a $300 municipal court fine for being a horse tooth jackass.
Fascist sea police, boarding boats like pirates.
As a Bears fan though I say lock him up. He and make Mike Vick can provide the lack of offense for the prison football team.
If you want to lock him up because his production on the field sucked, go right ahead. But golly gee willikers, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? They can charge anyone with anything.
If you didn’t get out of the lane fast enough for a police cruiser because you were cutting your nails at a traffic light, they can charge you with obstruction of justice and posession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose for the nail clipper.
As a Cowboy fan, I thank you for giving up on Marc Columbo after his injury. He’s done a great job at right tackle for us.
If you want to lock him up because his production on the field sucked, go right ahead. But golly gee willikers, what happened to innocent until proven guilty? They can charge anyone with anything.
If you didn’t get out of the lane fast enough for a police cruiser because you were cutting your nails at a traffic light, they can charge you with obstruction of justice and posession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose for the nail clipper.
As a Cowboy fan, I thank you for giving up on Marc Columbo after his injury. He’s done a great job at right tackle for us.
Impy: Fascist sea police, boarding boats like pirates.
I was kidding about locking him up. I strongly agree with you. In fact I think "random safety checks" are illegal searches.
As a Cowboy fan, I thank you for giving up on Marc Columbo after his injury. He’s done a great job at right tackle for us.
I'm actually not affiliated with the Bears Front Office, speaking of people who should be locked up......
Jerry Jones is on the hotline right now with da Bears. He’s a perfect fit for Dallas.
I guess they should start carrying bear spray.
Yeah, they can be pretty bad here. I had a friend get a BWI on Lake Austin a few years ago and he'd only had a few beers during the day.
Even though boating accidents and deaths are rare compared to those for automobiles, there's still an active lobby here that goes after anyone having fun, and they use the boat cops as their pitbulls.
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