Early this morning, TMZ Sports released a more graphic video of the incident regarding Ray Rice and his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, in an elevator at the Revel Casino Hotel in Atlantic City. The only video evidence previously released to the public was Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of the elevator.
This latest video shows it all, and now the NFL and Roger Goodell could face even more criticism despite the commissioner making the league's domestic violence policy more clear and strict. After months of investigating the incident that occurred in February, Goodell lightly punished Rice with a two-game ban for the domestic violence incident, creating a stir throughout the media. Now after changes in the policy, first-time domestic violence offenders will receive a six-game ban and repeat offenders are banned from the NFL for life.
However, these policy changes will not apply to Rice. And the video evidence, which was previously in the hands of Atlantic City police, shows Rice as the blatant instigator. The police report read "Rice and Palmer struck each other with their hands," and the two instances cannot really be compared. Prior to entering the elevator it appeared as if the two exchanged words and Palmer smacks Rice in the face. They then walked into the elevator and Rice shoves Palmer, smacks her in the face and then delivered the knockout punch to the left side of her face when she began to approach him after being smacked the first time.
Rice's first two physical actions toward Palmer occurred before the elevator doors even closed, but there were no witnesses near the scene. This brings numerous faults to light after what transpired over the past few months; Rice pleaded not guilty in the case, the Ravens organization defended Rice and his actions, Roger Goodell suspended Rice for a measly two games (and it's hard for many to believe that the league didn't obtain the video evidence the Atlantic City police had), and then Goodell defended the punishment he handed down to Rice. And all the while Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been forced to take a job at an Ohio car dealership because the NFL banned him for all of 2014 for failing two drug tests (one for codeine and one for marijuana).
It will be interesting to see how the NFL, the Baltimore Ravens and Rice will now handle the situation. There was already massive uproar without such graphic evidence, and now it's all in the public eye. The NFL claims it hadn't seen the video prior to today.
UPDATE: The Baltimore Ravens have terminated Ray Rice's contract following the release of the new video evidence.
Take a look at the video below provided by TMZ Sports:
