Nick Piccone
While many didn’t care why the Seattle Seahawks had given up a player like Michael Bennett for Marcus Johnson and a fifth-rounder, others were waiting for the other shoe to drop.
And now it seems like it has.
According to a report out of KHAO in Houston, the new Eagles defensive lineman has been indicted by a Harris County grand jury for allegedly injuring a 66-year-old paraplegic on the night of Super Bowl LI at NRG Stadium. According to the report, Bennett was trying to gain access to the field to celebrate with his brother, Martellus.
Immediately following the game, Bennett shoved his way on to the field where players were gathering to celebrate.
NRG Security personnel, including the 66-year-old disabled victim, told Bennett he had to use a different entrance for field access.
Instead, he pushed through them, including the elderly woman who was part of the security team.
The charge, injury to the elderly, includes intentionally and knowingly, causing bodily injury to a person 65 years or older. It carries a penalty of up to ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Bennett played for Alief Taylor High School and Texas A&M before joining the NFL. As of now, according to the report, prosecutors are working with Bennett’s counsel to negotiate his surrender.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Derrick Gunn, both the Seahawks and Eagles were unaware of this incident.
According to a league source the Seahawks and the Eagles were not aware of this MIchael Bennett incident.
— Derrick Gunn (@RealDGunnNBCS) March 23, 2018
The Eagles released a statement on the situation.
#Eagles release statement on Bennett: “We are aware of the situation involving Michael Bennett and are in the process of gathering more information. Because this is an ongoing legal matter, we will have no further comment at this time.”
— Nick Piccone (@nickpiccone) March 23, 2018
We’ll update this story as it continues to develop.
You can follow Nick Piccone on Twitter (@nickpiccone) and e-mail him at [email protected]. Subscribe to The Straight Shooters Podcast (@ShootersRadio) on iTunes here and listen every Friday afternoon at 2:00 P.M. on Wildfire Radio. Click here to read his pro wrestling articles on PhillyVoice.
Follow Philly Influencer on Twitter (@PHL_Influencer), Facebook and Instagram.