After three days of denying the league ever saw it, a report now claims that the NFL was sent the damning video that showed former Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice knocking his then-fiance, now-wife Janay Rice to the floor in an elevator.
On Wednesday afternoon, The Associated Press spoke with a law enforcement official who claims that he sent the NFL the full tape, which was leaked on TMZ Monday morning. The source says that he sent the video on April 9 and played the AP a voicemail from an NFL office number. The voice on the other side was a woman who said, “You're right. It's terrible.”
The law enforcement official would not reveal his name because there is an ongoing investigation. He said that there was no further contact with the NFL and has no way of proving that the NFL might have watched the video.
In addition, the person says he sent the video on a DVD to an NFL executive, but would not give the name of the executive to the AP.
Since Monday, the NFL has steadfastly denied that they ever saw the troubling video. Before the video was released, Rice was only suspended for two games. After the video, the Ravens terminated his contract and the NFL suspended him indefinitely.
As we previously reported, Goodell told CBS News that the league never saw the video. The league again stood by this, even after the AP report.
“We are not aware of anyone in our office who possessed or saw the video before it was made public on Monday,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello wrote to USA Today and other media outlets. “We will look into it.”
In the eyes of the law, Rice reached a plea deal in the case and was only sentenced to counseling to have the charges dropped.
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