Video showed Hunt kicking, shoving woman
KANSAS CITY, MO. — Running back Kareem Hunt has been released by the Chiefs after video footage published Friday showed him shoving and kicking a woman in a hallway.
“Earlier this year, we were made aware of an incident involving running back Kareem Hunt,” read a statement issued by the Chiefs. “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.”
The video of Hunt, obtained and published by TMZ Sports, is related to a February 2018 altercation on an early Saturday morning at The Metropolitan at the 9, Hunt’s hotel apartment in downtown Cleveland. Police were called and a report was previously made, but video footage was not available until it was published by TMZ.
Minutes before the Chiefs took action, the NFL said Hunt, who led the league in rushing as a rookie last season, had been placed on the NFL’s Commissioner Exempt List and that it “will include a review of the new information made public today” in the investigation it first opened in February. Hunt cannot practise or play in games for any NFL team while on the exempt list.
In the video, Hunt is seen coming out of a room and talking to a woman off camera. When she approached Hunt, he shoved her, and she hit him in the face. When another man came out of the hotel room and tried to intervene, Hunt continued to lunge toward the woman. As more people came into the hallway, Hunt had to be restrained several times as he made advances toward the woman and other people. At one point, Hunt appeared to knock two people over with a shove, including the woman he initially shoved. At the end of the video, Hunt kicked the woman as she was crouched on the ground.
The Chiefs and NFL did not take any action against Hunt after the altercation was reported to police in February. The video was posted by TMZ at 1:33 p.m. The NFL statement was issued around 7:30 p.m. and the Chiefs released him shortly before 8 p.m.
No charges have been filed stemming from the altercation, which occurred on Feb. 10, but two police reports were created. In one report, 19-year-old Abigail Ottinger is listed as a suspect, and in another Hunt is listed as a suspect.
Ottinger told police that Hunt “shoved and pushed her.” There was no mention of a kick in either police report or in police interviews with involved parties.
TMZ also published a 15-second body cam video Friday of a shirtless Hunt talking to police.
Hunt was involved in an altercation in June when he allegedly punched a man in the face at an Ohio resort. Hunt was also not arrested following that incident.