While Ravens running back Ray Rice’s lawyers called the incident with his fiancée that led to his arrest in Atlantic City a “very minor physical altercation,” a video emerged of Rice dragging a seemingly unconscious Janay Palmer out of an elevator told a different story.
So does the summons issued by the Atlantic City Municipal Court to Rice in the wake of the incident. Mike Hellgren of WJZ in Baltimore obtained a copy of the summons, which alleges that Rice committed assault on Palmer by striking her with his hand and rendering her unconscious. Palmer was also issued a summons for striking Rice with her hand.
A professional football player knocking a woman unconscious isn’t the hallmark of a “very minor physical altercation.” Rice has reportedly spoken with Ravens coach John Harbaugh since the arrest, although it’s not known how he characterized the incident in any conversation. Ravens General Manager Ozzie Newsome said Monday that he had not spoken to Rice since the incident, but said Rice remains in the team’s plans despite the arrest.
We’ll see if the release of the video and summons changes anything coming out of Baltimore or if the league takes any action against Rice.