Video uncovered Monday by TMZ showing NFL running back Ray Rice punching now-wife Janay Palmer has prompted the Baltimore Ravens to terminate Rice’s contract.
The video was captured in an Atlantic City, N.J., elevator in February. The original footage of the altercation released earlier showed Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer from the elevator but did not capture the punch.
On Twitter, the Baltimore Ravens announced that they would terminate Rice’s contract. This followed suggestions made by Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) and Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas) that Rice could be further punished by the NFL because of the video, according to The Hill.
Specifically, Blumenthal along with Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) wrote in a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, “The video released today emphasizes how egregiously weak and wrong the initial penalty against Ray Rice was – as the Commissioner has acknowledged – and it constitutes new, powerful evidence that requires the Commissioner to reconsider and reach a stronger punishment.”
The NFL made a statement Monday assuring that the league had not seen this new footage until it was released by TMZ.
“We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator,” explained the NFL’s Brian McCarthy. “That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today.”
According to MSNBC, White House press secretary Josh Earnest said during Monday’s press briefing that he wasn’t aware of the news about Rice and “would not comment directly” but that he did condemn domestic violence.
Ironically, Vice President Joe Biden will mark the 20th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act Tuesday with a speech at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
