Advocacy group, fans react to video of former Chiefs’ player assaulting woman

The NFL is back in the spotlight again for domestic violence after disturbing video shows a star player shoving and kicking a teenage woman while she was on the ground.

Kansas City Chiefs’ running back Kareem Hunt was released by the team hours after the video was released by TMZ Sports Friday afternoon.

The incident happened on February 10 at 3:22 a.m. inside a Cleveland hotel. The video shows Hunt being held back by a group of people. 

The 23 year-old then shoves a male accomplice in the back, pushing him into the 19 year-old woman. Both of them go flying across the hallway and appear pretty stunned.

While the woman was still on the ground, Hunt then approached the woman and kicked her in her midsection before the video ends.

Video also released by TMZ Sports shows the interview police had with Hunt and the young woman. No arrests were made that night.

The video surfaced less than a week after San Francisco 49ers linebacker Reuben Foster was arrested for his second domestic assault charges in 2018. He was released and picked up by the Washington Redskins, causing outrage.

These incidents got the attention of the new Executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence Tonya Harris.

“Any violence against women is unacceptable. It’s intolerable,” Harris said. “We want those who are causing harm to be held accountable.”

Harris went on to say that the NFL still has work to do.

“Anyone in that spotlight needs to be held to a higher standard,” she said.

Football fans tell ABC 6 they are sick of seeing this crime plague the league, and something needs to be done about it.

“It should be a couple of years before the NFL player gets their rights back,” said Scituate resident Cameron Barry.

“Disgusting to see, actually. It was just really violent,” said Cranston Patriots fan Jonathan Glantz. “It’s degrading and it wasn’t appropriate.”

Hunt has since been released. The NFL and the Chiefs were aware of the incident but say Hunt was not honest about what happened.

The team released the following statement:

“Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt. At that time, the National Football League and law enforcement initiated investigations into the issue. As part of our internal discussions with Kareem, several members of our management team spoke directly to him. Kareem was not truthful in those discussions. The video released today confirms that fact. We are releasing Kareem immediately.”