Cedric Benson Arrested in Austin for Assault of Ex-Roommate
Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson was arrested early Sunday in Austin, Texas. The charges? Apparently, Cedric Benson assaulted a former roommate.
Benson, also a former University of Texas football star, was held for seven hours in county jail last Sunday. He was released after posting a $10,000 bail, reports the American-Statesman.
Benson was arrested after a former male roommate alleged he was punched by by the ex-Longhorn running back, the American-Statesman reports.
Allegedly, Benson and his former roommate, Charles Clavens, were discussing their living situation on a street corner in Austin, when the discussion turned heated - and Benson started to punch him in the face, the American-Statesman reports.
Benson was charged with a misdemeanor charge of assault causing bodily injury to a family member. The charges carry punishments of a maximum $4,000 fine and a year in jail, the American-Statesman reports.
The "family member" classification is not necessarily limited to blood relatives, but also encompasses members of a person's household, like a roommate in this situation, according to the American-Statesman.
Will Benson face repercussions not only through the legal system but through the NFL? NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said that NFL players will still be subject to the personal conduct policy.
The personal conduct policy subjects players to discipline like suspensions if they engage in behavior that sullies the NFL's name, integrity and reputation. Getting arrested for assault is likely something that will violate the personal conduct policy.
Cedric Benson, arrested on charges of assault, comes right on the heels of his teammate Adam "Pacman" Jones' arrest on charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, reports USA Today. And, it's not the Bengals star's first run-in with the law: Cedric Benson assaulted a bar employee last year, and is still facing a trial on those charges.
Related Resources:
- Cedric Benson released from jail, again (KXAN-TV)
- Assault and Battery (FindLaw)
- Steelers' Hines Ward Arrested for DUI: Can NFL Suspend? (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)
- Raheem Brock Arrested: Ex-Colt DE Skips Out on $27 Bar Tab? (FindLaw's Tarnished Twenty)