Major Setback: After nearly killing his wife in a small domestic dispute, Baltimore Ravens standout player has landed in police custody and could be charged to court for attempted murder.
Ray Rice’s contract was cut by the Baltimore Ravens on Monday following the release of a video showing the running back striking his then-fiancee in an elevator of a hotel in Atlantic City.
In response, the NFL suspended Rice without pay for an undetermined period of time, making it impossible for another team to sign him. The NFL claimed earlier in the day that it was unaware of the violent video until it suspended him for two games earlier in the summer due to domestic abuse.
“We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” the National Football League stated in a statement. “The video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today.”
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Pie and bar tabs are traded for Ray Rice jerseys by fans.
The Baltimore Ravens, Ray Rice’s organization, tweeted, “The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon,” just hours after the video appeared on TMZ.com.
The elevator footage shows Janay Palmer, who is currently Rice’s wife, getting struck in the face. The running back is then hit by Palmer with a blow that knocks her unconscious. Palmer’s corpse is dragged outside by Rice when the elevator doors open, leaving her face down on the ground and her legs inside the vehicle.
PHOTO: Ray Rice, a football player for the Baltimore Ravens, and his wife, Janay Palmer, are seen holding hands as they arrive at the Atlantic County Criminal Courthouse in Mays Landing, New Jersey, on May 1, 2014.
The Baltimore Ravens football star Ray Rice and his wife Janay Palmer are seen holding hands in this May 1, 2014, file photo as they arrive at the Atlantic County Criminal Courthouse in Mays Landing, New Jersey.
John Harbaugh, the coach of the Ravens, stated that although he and other team officials had not viewed the tape prior to today, they promptly decided that Rice needed to be released.
“Today was the first time we saw it,” Harbaugh remarked. Naturally, it brought about changes. It caused a slight alteration in circumstances.”
Josh Earnest, the press secretary for the White House, claimed to have discussed the news of the Ravens cutting Rice’s contract with President Obama.
“The president is a father who raised two girls. Additionally, Earnest stated, “Like any American, he thinks that domestic abuse is abhorrent and inappropriate in a civilized society. “A real guy would never hit a woman, period, whether the violent crime takes place in broad daylight or, far too frequently, behind closed doors. Football is not the only sport that needs to be addressed; it is our collective duty to end domestic abuse.”
Fans, coaches, and other football players were incensed by the video, and many demanded that the NFL bench Rice right now. Former New York Jets coach Herm Edwards stated he would have acted prior to the video’s release.
Before the Ravens and the league took action, Edwards told ESPN, “I thought and I said this early, when this incident took place: If I was the head coach, obviously, he would have been deactivated for a while.” “More than two games.”
“This is how I’ve always felt: I know there is a policy, they have to follow the legal process, and you have to go through all that. Additionally, I am aware that you possess sufficient knowledge as a coach to determine the player’s future independently of the league.”
According to Edwards, “This could be a one-time incident, but it’s one-time too many.”
The brawl took place inside the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City, which claimed to have given the police access to the footage. ABC News contacted Atlantic City police for comment, but they did not reply. According to an ABC News report, a prosecutor declined to comment on any material that the grand jury may have received, seen, or cited.
