Cedric Benson arrested Police use pepper spray during arrest
By Vaughn McClure | Tribune reporter 8:14 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 later bonded out, the sergeant said.
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.
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