Sen. Richard Blumenthal has called on the NFL and the Baltimore Ravens to increase a two-game suspension on Ravens running back Ray Rice for a February domestic violence incident after new video surfaced that purports to show Rice punching his then-fiancee in the head.
“The video released today emphasizes how egregiously weak and wrong the initial penalty against Ray Rice was — as [NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell] has acknowledged — and it constitutes new, powerful evidence that requires the commissioner to reconsider and reach a stronger punishment,” said the Connecticut Democrat.
The grainy video, released by TMZ Sports, appears to show Rice and Janay Palmer in an elevator at an Atlantic City, N.J., casino. Each hits the other before Rice knocks Palmer off her feet and into a railing.
The Ravens and the NFL, which had suspended Rice for two games in July for domestic violence, say they did not see the video until Monday.
The 27-year-old Rice was charged with felony aggravated assault in the case. But in May he was accepted into a pretrial intervention program that allowed him to avoid jail time and could lead to the charge being purged from his record.
Goodell drew criticism for not being tough enough on Rice over the incident.
In a letter to all 32 NFL owners in August, Goodell admitted the two-game suspension “led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families.
“I didn’t get it right,” he added. “Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.”
First-time offenders now face a six-game suspension.
Blumenthal applauded the NFL for ramping up its penalties for domestic violence, but said allowing Rice to only miss two games “would be a disappointing step backwards.”
UPDATE: The Ravens cut Rice Monday afternoon, hours after the video went public.
The club announced its decision on Twitter. Goodell later said that Rice has been suspended from the NFL indefinitely.
• An Associated Press report was used in this article.
