Former Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Michael Bennett was taken into custody Monday after his first court appearance since he was charged with allegedly assaulting a 66-year-old paraplegic security staff worker.
Judge Robert Johnson, who presides over the 177th Criminal Court in Harris County, set Bennett's bond at $10,000 and issued a no-contact order before Bennett was led off in handcuffs, according to local news media reports.
Tebben Lewis, a spokesperson for the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, told USA TODAY Sports that Bennett was processed and released on bond Monday afternoon.
Prosecutors announced Friday that Bennett faces a single felony charge of injury to the elderly, which carries a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
The grand jury indictment stemmed from an alleged altercation at Super Bowl LI in Houston in February 2017.
Bennett was at the Super Bowl to watch his brother, tight end Martellus Bennett, who played with the New England Patriots at the time. After the Patriots completed their historic comeback against the Atlanta Falcons, prosecutors said that Michael Bennett attempted to join the celebration on the field when he was stopped by security and asked to use a different entrance.
Prosecutors alleged that Bennett then "pushed through them, including the elderly woman who was part of the security team."
Bennett's sister Ashley posted video that shows her and Michael running onto the field but it doesn't show the incident with the security guard. Ashley was in the stands when she first started recording himself so the incident could have happened before she got down to the field.
At a news conference on Friday, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo claimed Bennett told the security staffers, " 'You all must know who I am and I can own this (expletive). I'm going down to the field, whether you like it or not.'"
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