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http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/...d-chicago-bears,0,4171282.story


Cedric Benson arrested
Police use pepper spray during arrest
By Vaughn McClure | Tribune reporter
11:37 AM CDT, May 4, 2008

Bears running back Cedric Benson was arrested late Saturday night near Austin, Texas, and charged with boating while intoxicated and resisting arrest, both Class B misdemeanors.

According to a sergeant from the Travis County Sheriff's office, Benson, who played at the University of Texas in Austin, was arrested by the Lower Colorado River Authority. A LCRA spokesperson said that Benson, who failed a sobriety "float test" (an abbreviated version of a field sobriety test) on the boat, argued over taking a follow-up test on land and refused to put on a life jacket. LCRA police attempted to arrest Benson at that time but he refused to cooperate and was pepper sprayed. He was booked at 11:24 p.m. Saturday and is out on a $14,500 bond.

Benson, who had his 2007 season cut short by a broken leg, was in jeopardy of losing his starting spot even before the arrest. The fourth-overall pick of the 2005 draft has struggled through his first three seasons with the Bears, failing to post a 1,000-yard campaign while averaging just 3.8 yards per carry. Benson averaged a career-low 3.4 yards per carry last season, finishing with 674 yards on 196 carries with four touchdowns in 11 games started. He missed the final five games with the leg injury.

The Bears sent a clear sign that they wanted more production from their running back by selecting Tulane's Matt Forte in the second round of this year's draft. Forte's ability to get to the outside and catch the ball out of the backfield were dimensions the Bears missed with Benson in the lineup, although Benson showed flashes against Seattle and Denver last season.

Benson had a couple of brushes with the law during his college days.

He was arrested for marijuana possession in May of 2002 in his hometown of Midland, Texas. The charges were dropped when he passed a drug test and other evidence surfaced to clear him.

In October of 2003, he was arrested for criminal trespassing after kicking down an apartment door in Austin, believing his $15,000 plasma television was inside. He received an eight-day jail sentence but never went behind bars because of time served on the day of the arrest, good behavior, and the lack of available beds at the local prison.

On Saturday, Benson was on his 30-foot boat with 12 to 15 others but Benson was the only person to be arrested, police said.

DOes the open container law apply to boats as well like it does to car? you figure if there are 15 ppl on that damn boat he can say well i'm dirnkin but the guy whos steering the boat isn't....and out of all thoes ppl HE got arrested? kind of weird....there is always a untold story behind stuff like this...seems kind of retarded for him to fight with the officers...this was not a small boat and sounds like he was having a lil party with more then couple of ppl..

I would have kept Thomas Jones over this guy.

It sucks when teams feel pressured to keep someone just because they were drafted high.

Drinking on the water is such a great time---why does it have to be illegal.

We always call it Cabrewin' when we go.

I am not a fan of Cedric Benson, but the story sounds weird. It's almost like he was a target. And the cops always throw in the Resisting Arrest charge on these types of deals. I'm actually surprised there are not more charges. It will get knocked down to a Disorderly Conduct.

Tell me about it. It used to be a blast years ago to go out on the boat and have a few drinks and enjoy the sun. I mean I can understand why they made it illegal and the person operating the boat shouldn't be drinking.

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charged with boating while intoxicated

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Thought I was the only one dumb enuff to get busted for that...lmao...

Forte's the man in Chicago now. I'd heard that it was very possible that Benson wouldn't even make the squad (cut) long before this incident.

j/c

The thing that I don't understand....why didn't this loser pay a guy to drive the boat for the day? He can afford it. And then Cedric could have drank all the booze he wanted.

And here's a bit of advice, when the cops ask you to do anything, like put on a life jacket, take a sobriety test or to come with them.....you say is "yes sir". NOBODY in the history of man has ever convinced a cop they didn't have to do something by saying "no". The cop gets to tell you what to do.

Unless I missed it, it doesn't say how drunk he was.. if he was plastered and driving the boat then I'm glad they got him.. if he had a few beers then I say... Lighten up. But why these athletes always opt to get an attitude and fight about it with the cops is beyond me... Just go quietly, pay the fine, and live to party another day... sheesh.

People just don't like police officers. They don't like them when they get pulled over for speeding, get called to their house for loud music or get their boat pulled over for suspicion of DUI.....people just don't like cops. My best friend would get ENRAGED at the site of a police officer. Why? Because he crashed his brand new car into a car dealership when trying to outrun a cop to prevent a speeding ticket. He blames the cop for the whole thing. (he's my best friend for a lot of other reasons....this is not one of them).

Everyone feels like there's always someone doing something worse that the cops should be after....but drinking and boating is dangerous. If not for other boats on the water, it was dangerous for all the other people on the boat.

Well being this was in the water and the Lower Colorado River Authority actual did the arrest, tells me that most likely something was drawing attention to them to get the police boat to pull up alongside. And I'm sorry bit a 30' boat isn't all that big when you have 15 people on it.

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but it's a dry lake

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Bet that adds a certain degree of difficulty to water skiing.

I always hurt my head when diving there....

But those of us who can't swim love it

These puns are all washed up.

Fishing is sort of slim pickings though.

you can just reach out of the boat and grab them.

But it sure makes running to shore to make a beer run easier.

Plus you can pee in the lake without anybody getting to mad

But you can't make bubbles in the water GM!

That takes the fun out of it for me!

Now if people wouldn't run away screaming when we do, it would be

Well apparently Cedric has witnesses to his side of the story:

http://msn.foxsports.com/nfl/story/8108552?MSNHPHMA

I'm definitely curious to see how this turns out. The poll on that page has 69% of people believe Cedric Benson's side of the story.