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New Rochelle Reacts To New Ray Rice Domestic Violence Video

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Although New Rochelle native Ray Rice has been released from the only professional football team he’s ever known, and was suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Monday after a video shows him knocking out his then-fiancee, not all residents of his hometown are prepared to give up on him.

New Rochelle's Ray Rice was caught on video abusing his wife.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of YouTube user buccsfan2
New Rochelle student Darren Kline called the video "reprehensible."

New Rochelle student Darren Kline called the video "reprehensible."

Photo Credit: Zak Failla

Rice was suspended for the first two games of the NFL season after a TMZ video showed him dragging his fiancee, Janay Palmer, out of an Atlantic City elevator following an altercation in February. That light suspension drew the ire of media and the public alike, who criticized NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, of Bronxville, for his handling of a matter as serious as domestic abuse.

That suspension was extended indefinitely on Monday, after a second TMZ video showed he threw a left cross that knocked Palmer unconscious after her head struck a railing in the elevator. Rice and Palmer were married on March 28, 2014.

“It’s reprehensible. He’s a grown man – a grown professional football player – and he just cold cocked a woman who is half his size. I don’t care what they were arguing about you can’t lay your hands on a woman,” Darren Kline said. “I didn’t agree with the original suspension. I don’t agree with the plea (that was reached earlier this summer to protect Rice) and it’s shameful that it took this long for the NFL to realize that.”

Rice’s altercation, and Goodell’s subsequent handling of it forced the NFL to alter its policies regarding domestic abuse last month. Now, guilty of domestic abuse gets an automatic six game suspension. If he is found guilty a second time, he’s banned from the league.

Despite the egregious nature of the incident, not every New Rochelle resident is prepared to condemn Rice. New Rochelle-native Geoff Harris said that the legal process played out, and he’s being unfairly punished.

“I don’t agree with what he did, but justice was sent down. He was already suspended and legally he’s already past that,” he noted. “They should have gotten all the facts before punishing him in the first place.”

It has not yet been determined why it took so long for the latest video to come out. The NFL has claimed that Monday was the first time they saw them, while the Ravens claimed that Rice explained the whole situation to them, but left out several key details, which led to his dismissal from the team.

“That guy is scum, lock him up and throw away the key. I don’t think I want him coming back here for his (annual football) camp. He’s not exactly a good role model for our kids,” David Espinosa said. “That’s an unforgivable thing he did, and I’m glad the league was able to do the right thing and banish him.” 

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