“The NFL has placed Kareem Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs on the Commissioner Exempt list, and as a result, he may not practice, play or attend games,” the NFL said in a statement.
“The NFL’s investigation, which began immediately following the incident in February, will include a review of the new information that was made public today.”
Hunt was sent home from the Chiefs’ practice facility soon after the video was aired.
Cleveland.com, citing a police report, said at the time that police were called to the building where Abigail Ottinger, 19, accused Hunt, whom she had met that evening, of assaulting her, while another woman who was with Hunt’s group accused Ottinger of assaulting her.
Police did not make any arrests and Hunt was not charged at the time of the altercation.
The video published by TMZ appears to be security footage from the hallway of the building. On it, a man identified as Hunt can be seen exchanging words with a woman, shoving her with one hand before she returns and takes a swipe at his face.
Several people intervene and the situation appears to have calmed when Hunt collides with the woman and another man, knocking both over and then kicking the woman in the leg.
Hunt has played a key role in the Chiefs’ rise to the top of the AFC West division, rushing for 824 yards and seven touchdowns while adding 26 catches for 378 receiving yards and seven more receiving TDs. Hunt led the NFL with 1,327 rushing yards last season.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence has been an issue in the NFL in recent years. In 2014, video showed Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in a hotel elevator. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who suspended Rice for two games over the incident before the video went public came in for heavy criticism over the light punishment and Rice was then suspended indefinitely by the league.
Rice won an appeal, but was released by the Ravens and never returned to the league. The NFL beefed up its policy regarding domestic violence by players. Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott was suspended six games after the league investigated allegations that he assaulted ex-girlfriend Tiffany Thompson, even though Elliott was never arrested or charged.
Last week the San Francisco 49ers axed linebacker Reuben Foster after the 24-year-old was arrested for allegedly slapping a woman and shoving her at the 49ers hotel in Tampa ahead of their game against the Buccaneers.
The Washington Redskins came in for criticism when they claimed him off waivers two days later, with club executive Doug Williams provoking more ire when he called Foster’s alleged actions “small potatoes” — a comment Williams apologized for on Friday.