Hours after TMZ released video Monday of Ray Rice punching and knocking out his then-fiancee Janay Palmer, the Baltimore Ravens terminated their star running back.
It was a stunning move, as the team had not publicly disciplined Rice after an earlier video was released showing him dragging an unconscious Palmer, who is now his wife, out of an elevator at a now-closed Atlantic City hotel on Feb. 15.
But the Ravens releasing Rice speaks to the public outcry and damage of actually seeing Rice strike Palmer with his left hand and knocking her into an elevator guard rail. She fell to the floor unconscious, and, worse, Rice did not seem to be overly concerned about how badly she was hurt.
Eventually, he drags her out of the elevator, where she regains consciousness while others aid her.
In July, the NFL suspended Rice for two games, a penalty that drew widespread criticism from around the country and led to the league last week announcing new domestic violence penalties for anyone associated with the NFL.
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