But in a letter to team leadership on Wednesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell again denied seeing the clip of a domestic violence incident between the former Baltimore Raven and his then-fiancée. He said laws governing ongoing investigations by law enforcement prevented the league from obtaining video.
Carlo Allegri / Reuters / Reuters
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell expanded on his previous statements about the investigation of Ray Rice, who was indefinitely suspended from the league this week after TMZ released video showing the former Baltimore Ravens running back punching his wife in a casino elevator.
Rice was originally suspended for two games related to the February altercation, which left his now-wife, Janay Rice, unconscious. Local prosecutors dropped charges of aggravated assault after Rice completed a diversion program.
The NFL had asked for the elevator video, but their requests were denied, Goodell said. Under New Jersey law, any evidence related to an ongoing police investigation is not public, he added.
Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti also released a letter on Tuesday, describing a similar series of events and apologizing for how the investigation was handled.
The law enforcement source played the AP a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number confirming receipt of the video. A female voice says, "You're right. It's terrible."