The Baltimore Ravens cut Ray Rice from their roster after TMZ Sports released a new video on Monday, showing a better view of how the running back knocked his then-fiancée out cold inside an elevator.
Rice was originally suspended for two games after videos of him dragging Janay Palmer from the Revel Casino elevator went viral online.
But after TMZ released the video of Rice punching Palmer, Ravens coach John Harbaugh said that team officials unanimously agreed to terminate Rice's contract, while the National Football League also handed an indefinite suspension.
Harbaugh said after Monday's practice that team owner Steve Bisciotti, general manager Ozzie Newsome and team president Dick Cass did not hesitate to part ways with Rice after watching the new video.
Harbaugh added that they did not see the video before until it surfaced online on Monday, which immediately prompted fans to call for stiffer sanctions against Rice.
"I don't know why that would be a hard thing to understand," Harbaugh said via ESPN. "It wasn't available. It wasn't there for us. It wasn't something that we ever saw or had access to."
But while the Ravens terminated the contract of Rice, Harbaugh clarified that they won't abandon the 27-year-old running back, saying that they have already talked to the seven-year veteran and Palmer.
"We'll always stand in support of them as a couple. That's not going to change," Harbaugh said. "When somebody that you care about does wrong and is faced with the consequences of doing wrong and rightfully so, it is tough, it is hurtful. My pain is for both of them as a couple. Going forward, my hope is that they can make it work."
Ravens wide receiver, Torrey Smith, who is one of the vocal supporters of Rice, said that he believes the sanction is justifiable, but he reiterated that he will continue to support his close friend.
"As bad it is, I still got to stick there for him as a person, not his actions at all," Smith said. "We're all disappointed by that. It was probably a little more than what we expected. It was tough what he did. You can't say the punishment doesn't fit the bill."
Below is the video released by TMZ Sports on Monday.
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