A clear version of the assault video of Ray Rice and his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, including sound, was shown to the Associated Press, and according to those who viewed this version, the couple can be heard shouting obscenities at each other. Palmer also appears to spit on the recently cut Baltimore Ravens running back.
According to AP, the video was shown to the news service by a law-enforcement official and is "longer than the grainy TMZ Sports video," which was released early Monday.
The new high-definition video reportedly shows the couple arguing in the Revel casino elevator in Atlantic City, N.J., that February night. Palmer reportedly spits on Rice before he punches her, knocking her unconscious. When the elevator doors open, Rice, 27, can be seen dragging his then-fiancee, now wife, 26, out of the elevator. Hotel staff appears to run over, according to AP.
"One can be heard saying, 'She's drunk, right?' And then, 'No cops.' But Rice didn't respond," AP reports.
Some months ago, TMZ released the end portion of the video, which only showed Rice dragging Palmer out of the elevator and being approached by hotel staff.
According to AP, " … an Atlantic City police summons stated that Rice caused 'bodily injury to Janay Palmer, specifically by striking her with his hand, rendering her unconscious.'"
Initially, the Ravens did not punish Rice for his behavior, and the NFL only issued a two-game suspension against the three-time Pro Bowler.
When speaking about the two-game suspension and the incident in July, Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said: "We respect the efforts Ray has made to become the best partner and father he can be. That night was not typical of the Ray Rice we know and respect. We believe that he will not let that one night define who he is, and he is determined to make sure something like this never happens again," AP reports.
The NFL and Ravens claimed that they had not seen the longer footage of the incident until Monday.
"It's something we saw for the first time today, all of us," Ravens coach John Harbaugh said at a press conference. "It changed things, of course. It made things a little bit different."
Rice was cut Monday by the Ravens and also suspended indefinitely by the NFL.
AP notes that Harbaugh didn't want to talk about whether Rice misled him.
"I don't think of it that way. Everything I said in terms of what I believe, I stand by," Harbaugh said. "I believe that still, and I'll always believe those things, and [we'll] always stand in support of them as a couple, and that's not going to change."
Read more at the Associated Press.