Three weeks ago, Las Vegas police strongly disputed Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett’s claims of excessive force and racial profiling. On Friday, they reiterated their position, claiming that there is “no evidence” of impropriety.
A new video posted by TMZ consists, via ESPN.com, of portions of 193 videos culled from 861 total videos. As presented by the Las Vegas police, the video suggests nothing improper occurred.
But what about the rest of the video evidence that wasn’t included? The video produced on Friday by Las Vegas police doesn’t include any of the 33 seconds posted earlier this month showing Bennett face down on the ground, with handcuffs being applied. And it definitely includes none of the video obtained via the detaining officer’s body camera, since the arresting officer’s body camera inexplicably was not turned on.
Without an opportunity to review all of the raw video obtained and edited by police, it’s difficult to know the whole story. Without an opportunity to review video from a police body camera that never was turned on, it’s impossible to know whether Bennett’s version of the events is inaccurate.
But that surely won’t stop some from summarily rejecting Bennett’s contention as untrue. Because anyone who claims police brutality without clear, objective, undeniable evidence to confirm it (thanks in part to a police body camera that wasn’t turned on) probably is lying, right?