Scott Clarke/ESPN Images(LAS VEGAS) — In a press conference Friday, Las Vegas police said they found “no evidence” that officers used excessive force when detaining Michael Bennett back in August during an incident. They said they had reasonable suspicion to make the stop and detain him.
Bennett had accused the officers who detained him of racial profiling, saying they pointed guns at him and used excessive force during an incident outside a nightclub following the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Conor McGregor fight on August 26.
While the body camera of the officer who detained Bennett was not turned on, Sheriff Joe Lombardo said the police searched through 861 videos, including other police body cameras and hotel security cameras, finding that 193 were helpful to the investigation.
From there, they determined seven of the ten minutes Bennett was detained was in a police car. In the video, it showed an officer had his gun drawn over Bennett while he was on the sidewalk. Bennett was then handcuffed, and police explained they were in search of an active shooter. Over time, the handcuffs were removed from Bennett and he was told he could leave. Bennett is also seen shaking an officer’s hand before leaving.
Lombardo pointed out that the purpose of showing the video was not to “disparage” Bennett, but to show there’s two sides to every story. Bennett had said he was considering filing a civil rights lawsuit about the incident, saying it was a traumatic experience for him and his family.
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