The scene at Cedric Benson's arrest

Drug test him for sure....

I am glad they busted him if he was indeed impaired. He could have easily killed someone in his own boat, another boat, or someone in the water on a jet ski or water skiing. They are making this into such a HUGE media story. He commited a crime, now move on to something else for crying out loud.

If he's holding a bowl it's of salsa to go with his sun chips.

What evidence did the officers find at the scene? Just alcohol? No marijuana, no crack, etc? Just what one would ordinarily find on most fishing boats? What was the point then of the arrest, especially if they were already headed to shore? Black men with white women? I wouldn't put it past Texas authorities. Socially, they've always been behind the times.

We dont need the racial breakdown of the arrests that the LCRA made in the past year. At least not until they are accused of something relative to race. If the media keeps calling attention to our small differences the races will never focus on all that we have in common and come together as one.

1 in 8 is an interesting statistic when you consider the disproportionate arrests made for similar offenses btwn hispanic, afr amer, and caucasian offenders. remarkable how only street level drug dealers and users are caught but the importers, suppliers, and money launders remain free ... hmmm !!! if it were economically viable for dealers to profit from patrons ONLY from their communities then that indicates the economic potential in these communities is seriously undertapped; same as the patrons of rap / hip hop music, our kids aren't the only ones buying it !!!

not excusing the low level low-lives but statistics don't lie.

FYI the Coast Guard does have a right to board any vessel and perform a safety check for such things as a horn, life jackets/flotation devices, registration, etc. They do not need a reason to board you other than that. We've been stopped and boarded before while fishing on Lake Michigan. While they are on board the vessel if they have just cause they can then perform sobriety tests, drugs tests, etc. as appropriate.

They water board an American citizen? This lawsuit Bensen is about to win may be in the millions! Only in Texas would this happen. No wonder Bush has f'd up this country. Look at where he comes from.

Mary wrote:

I am glad they busted him if he was indeed impaired. He could have easily killed someone in his own boat, another boat, or someone in the water on a jet ski or water skiing. They are making this into such a HUGE media story. He commited a crime, now move on to something else for crying out loud.

What evidence has been produced that he committed a crime? It's the policemen's word versus his.

Don't need probable cause to come aboard a stopped boat, but then use that excuse to hassle and arrest people. These are cops folks. They ALWAYS have to have probable resonable cause-except in communist countries.Maybe he was drunk but he was not even operating the boat. Sound like a police state. Not the America I thought I knew. Since when is drinking on a non moving boat illegal?

Steve wrote:

Don't need probable cause to come aboard a stopped boat, but then use that excuse to hassle and arrest people. These are cops folks. They ALWAYS have to have probable resonable cause-except in communist countries.Maybe he was drunk but he was not even operating the boat. Sound like a police state. Not the America I thought I knew. Since when is drinking on a non moving boat illegal?

1) Probable cause means almost nothing.

2) Drinking in an anchored boat is the same as drinking in a parked car. In IL it's the same as drinking in a parked car that you don't even have keys for. You are still in control of the vehicle.

I want to clear up a things. Other websites and news organizations have picked up on this story, and are treating Cedric's beating like it's police brutality, or racially motivated. I don't believe that to be the case.

The police didn't get involved until Cedric was brought to shore by the LCRA. Just as Commonwealth Edison provides Chicago with its utilities, the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) provides central Texas with water and electricity.

There is one *** huge *** difference between the LCRA and ComEd, the LCRA has its own security force, and they can do anything they want, because they are largely beyond the law.

So why did my daughter call me? She was on a boat in the middle of a lake with 15 friends, including Cedric's mom. Elizabeth had been on the lake for many hours, and it was getting dark. Because there aren't cell towers on the lake, a cell phone constantly searches for a signal, draining the battery faster than normal. Her cell phone was running out of batteries, and she was very afraid. But why was she afraid?

As one of the LCRA officers told my daughter, "We can do anything we want to you, and you can't do anything about it." She feared for her safety and for the safety of her friends. I want to make it clear, that my daughter, and her friends, do NOT fear the Austin police, the Travis County police, or the Texas Rangers.

She does fear security guards with guns who work for a utility company. Wouldn't you, if you were in your 20's? Wouldn't you be afraid if these security guards were beating one of your friends? And wouldn't you be really afraid, if the person being beaten was the biggest, strongest man you have ever knew?

She called me, to ask me to call the real police, which I did. And they in turn called her. There are 911 tapes of these calls, even though it is being denied. And when the LCRA security cops brought Cedric to shore, beaten, pepper-sprayed and bloodied. The real police were there to take over.

I get my water and my electricity from the LCRA. If you live in the Chicago-area, imagine Commonwealth Edison with its own security force. Imagine Commonwealth Edison's Security Force arresting you for drinking two beers at a picnic over several hours. It's not illegal to drink on Lake Travis.

It is illegal to drink and drive. However, the boat was parked with engines off. Some friends were in the water swimming, when the LCRA security cops approached.

Imagine ComEd's security guards can stop you because you drive a nice car. Cedric has a beautiful boat. I haven't been on his boat, but I think he has what is called a Cobalt. I have been boating about 200 times in my life, and I have never been pulled over. Cedric went out twice this year, and was pulled over both times. My daughter has been out with him six times, and he has been pulled over all six times.

Perhaps, like some are saying it's a racial thing. Perhaps, it's a celebrity thing. Maybe he just drives a really cool boat. No matter what the underlying cause, it is a definitely an abuse of power - not by the police - but by a power company.

The LCRA can detain you for any reason, but they cannot really arrest you because they aren't really police. They are security guards. The LCRA can take you to shore, but must wait until real police officers arrive. One of the reasons I called 911, was so the LCRA knew the real police were on the way, and the beating of Cedric would stop.

The LCRA doesn't have its own jails, yet.

Wow, after that last post I wish I were Cedric's lawyer. It won't matter if the Bears cut him; his "signing bonus" from the LCRA is going break all NFL records!

Wow, reading about the LCRA puts the whole story in a bit more perspective--I heard today from Marc Silverman on ESPN Radio that he talked to some reporters in Austin who refer to what happened to Benson as BWB, Boating While Black. That it is common knowledge on that River you will get hassled if Black and boating. This whole thing sounds weird and the fact that his Mother was on board does add a bit more credibility to Benson probably not being a fool on board.

But if these LCRA types are truly this bad, why than arent the residents of the County taking action or getting the States Attorney who is the Top Cop of any State after them? If they are giving the real cops of Texas a bad name outside of Texas I would think they would want to change the LCRAs approach to residents.

Benson would be safer boating on Lake Michigan, its a bigger wide open lake and you dont get hassled unless your boating like a dope.

Benson said he was being picked on by the police. Next his lawyers will say it was racial bias. Let's wait and see if they convict him first.

Sam Zell has truly given up on journalistic integrity.

100,000 possibly dead in Myanmar and c. benson with girls in bikinis is the bigger story?

It is another example of Sam Zell caring far more about the almighty dollar than about humanity.

Myanmar is tragic but yet zell insists on still being a small pathetic little man.

When will Chicago get the Newspaper it deserves?

I read all the comments and it appears Benson was having prayer services on the boat, and that Benson was going to say mass, and that the police were trained by the KKK or Nazi's and were going to interrupt Benson's prayer services. The police punished Benson for not having a praying permit. What great stupidity some people have. Great bust LCRA.

I think the LCRA is just like the IL Dept of Natural Resources and their Conservation Police.

They're real cops, just out on the water.

The biggest question is why Cedric was eating the Sour Cream 'N Onion Sun Chips when the Garden Salsa Sun Chips are by far the superior chip.

ZEviLL wrote:

Sam Zell has truly given up on journalistic integrity.
100,000 possibly dead in Myanmar and c. benson with girls in bikinis is the bigger story?
It is another example of Sam Zell caring far more about the almighty dollar than about humanity.
Myanmar is tragic but yet zell insists on still being a small pathetic little man.
When will Chicago get the Newspaper it deserves?

If the other story of more news worthy to you, why are you commented on this thread?