Cedric Benson says cops lied

Which Cedric Benson did Texas police arrest this weekend?

Was it the contrite, polite guy who didn’t resist anything or the cocky, rich athlete who insulted the authorities?

That may be for a jury to decide.

Benson, the Bears’ running back, says he will fight charges of drunken boating and resisting arrest, denying any wrongdoing.

Police said Benson failed a sobriety test on his 37-foot yacht, argued over taking a follow-up test on land and refused to wear a life jacket.

But Benson said  the boat was stationary and while there was alcohol on board he was not intoxicated when police questioned him for the sixth time in the past year.

"There was no resistance on my part," Benson said. "Was I drunk? No.

"They gave me a field sobriety test, told me to say my ABCs and told me to count from 1 to 4 up and down. I'm thinking I passed all the tests, did everything right.

"Then the officer told me we needed to go to land to take more tests. I politely asked him why we needed to go to land to take more tests when I took every test. Then he sprayed me with mace, on his boat.

Benson said he was sprayed away from the family and friends on his boat.

"I'm not handcuffed. I'm not under arrest. I'm not threatening him. I'm not pushing him. I'm not touching him. And he sprays me right in my eye," Benson said.

"Nobody saw what he did to me. I started screaming for my mother to come. That's when they put me under arrest. And the officer threw a life jacket over my head.

"Once we got to land, the Travis County police grabbed me and kicked my feet from under me. So I landed on my back while I was handcuffed.

"They held me down and held the water hose over my face. I couldn't breathe. I'm choking. I'm begging the cops, 'Please stop. Please stop.' Then they picked me up and dragged me backward toward their car.

"And I'm still being polite, asking them, 'Sir could you please allow me to walk like a man to your cop car?' They just kept dragging me on."

Police documents say Benson had bloodshot eyes, slurred speech and a strong smell of alcohol. Benson failed sobriety tests and refused to cooperate with the arresting officer, who wanted to bring him ashore for more tests, according to the arrest affidavit. Benson would not put on a life jacket, refused to go on land, and said "I could not tell him what to do,'' an officer wrote.