Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett – who sat during the national anthem for weeks – shook hands with military veterans outside the team’s practice space this week, as photos on social media show.
Dayna Mink Coats wrote on Facebook that when driving near the Virginia Mason Athletic Center in Renton on Tuesday, she saw a parked car in the middle of the road.
“I thought it might be a car accident so I snapped a picture. As I got closer I realized it was group of military veterans who had assembled in front of the VMAC,” Coats wrote. “Mostly all Seniors who had probably seen the battlefield firsthand. They were proudly wearing their veteran’s hats, jackets and some carried American flags. The car in the middle of the road … it was Michael Bennett’s.”
Scroll down to read full post.
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Coats said as she drove by the veterans and Bennett shaking hands, she became emotional. So she pulled over in tears.
“A few of the veterans came over to see if I was ok and behind them walked up Michael Bennett,” Coats wrote. “I was unprepared and not expecting this situation in my morning. But with eyes welled up with tears and speaking from my heart … I simply said, ‘Michael, I am so torn and I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to disrespect our country, our flag or my husband who’s in the military but I want to understand. I’m a big Seahawks fan and I don’t know what to do?’ He reached in and hugged me.”
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They talked for nearly 20 minutes, and Bennett explained how he had family in the military too. His father served 10 years in the U.S. Navy.
“The word unity was used several times and he admitted he didn’t know where to go from here. I do not know either,” Coats wrote. “Nor do I know what the correct answers are … but I do know, I am thankful for those veterans and thankful Michael stopped to talk with them … and inadvertently me.”
Scroll down to read about Bennett as an advocate and his recent encounter with Las Vegas police.
About Bennett as an advocate
Bennett is one of the 200 NFL players who didn't participate in the national anthem over the weekend in the wake of President Donald Trump suggesting the NFL bar players from kneeling in protest.
The entire Seahawks team also didn’t participate during the anthem and sat out in the lockerroom before their game against the Tennessee Titans.
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Over the last year, Bennett has been a leader of the national anthem protests started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Before President Trump’s comments on the NFL, Bennett gave this reason for his protesting:
“I have always held the strong conviction that protesting or standing up for justice is just simply the right thing to do. This fact is unequivocally, without question, why before every game, I sit during the national anthem – because equality doesn’t live in this country, and no matter how much money you make, what job title you have or have much you give, when you are seen as a ‘n*****,' you will be treated that way."
Pete Carroll supports his players and Bennett. At a news conference on Monday, Carroll told reporters he understands why people are upset with the protests, but he hopes that they listen.
"It is not about denigration of the flag or our country," Carroll said. "We all can learn what we want to learn out of this, but I hope we learn about empathy."
About Bennett’s recent encounter with Las Vegas police
In early September, Bennett's stance on social justice was amplified when he accused Las Vegas police of racially motivated excessive force, saying he was threatened at gunpoint and handcuffed following a report of gunshots at an after-hours club at a casino hotel.
Bennett, who has recently remained seated during the national anthem prior to football games, posted a statement to Twitter detailing the encounter. Within a few hours, a video surfaced of an officer putting Bennett in handcuffs.
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The Las Vegas Metro Police Department (NVMPD) gave a news conference Wednesday about the accusations, saying there is no evidence Bennett was detained because of his race. According to the department, officers were investigating an active shooter call — which turned out to be false — and Bennett running quickly prompted a chase.
The chase ended with the controversial encounter where officers put Bennett in handcuffs, and it was caught on video. Read the entire story about the encounter here.
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- Seahawks players respond to Trump's condemnation of anthem protest
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