Another controversy struck the NFL after a video was leaked online showing the Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice punching his wife Janay Palmer on the elevator of a hotel.
Days prior to the qualified come-back of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice from a two-game suspension for domestic abuse, an appalling video has appeared showing him delivering a knockout punch to his then fiancée now wife Janay Palmer Rice.
The leaked video posted by TMZ on Monday was footage from the February 15 incident that shows Ray Rice punching Janay Palmer in an elevator at the Revel Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City. Another video also showed the NFL athlete dragging a seemingly unconscious fiancé. Both the NFL and the Ravens said that they hadn't seen the video until Monday.
The incident and the video are now raising questions and is becoming another prominent controversy regarding the punishments for the violations and ruling of the NFL's personal conduct policy.
Ray Rice was given two-game suspension by the NFL due to the assault on his then fiancé Janay Palmer. The NFL star was also arrested after the attack and subsequently indicted with felony for third degree aggravated assault on March 27, 2014. He was accepted into a digression program that could lead to the charges being obliterated upon completion. The controversial couple is now married.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has admitted that Ray Rice's two-game suspension was a mistake. The video looks even worse following Monday's release. The video showed the couple in an alleged scuffle then the Ravens' running back hits his fiancé with his left hand, causing her head to hit the handrail in the elevator. She then slumps to the ground and does not move while Ray proceeds to drag her out of the elevator while unconscious.
The video caused extensive outrage and another controversy for the league. The leniency of Rice's punishment was probed, considering mainly for drug violations that have cost some players much longer suspensions.
The NFL released a statement as per the league's spokesperson Greg Aiello on Monday morning saying that they requested the law enforcement for any and all information pertaining to the incident, including the video from inside the elevator. The NFL also said that the video was not made accessible to them and no one in their office has seen it until today.
Now the world has seen the controversial video and it is a clear picture of domestic violence. The controversy lead to an NFL policy change regarding how it handles domestic violence cases. In a news conference, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced longer suspension lengths for future domestic violence incidents. He also admitted that he didn't get it right in deciding Ray Rice's punishment.
In lieu with the controversial incident, NFL critics and fans are hopeful that Ray Rice, NFL officials and other NFL athletes will learn from it. True to the commissioner's words, our actions will indeed reflect our values.
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