Chiefs release RB Kareem Hunt after violent video surfaces

The Kansas City Chiefs this evening announced they have released their starting running back Kareem Hunt after TMZ released a video of an incident that occurred in February that depicted Hunt assaulting a young woman.

Minutes prior to the Chiefs’ announcement, the NFL released a statement that Hunt had been placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt List, meaning he cannot play or practice or attend games until the investigation into the incident is completed. That investigation began in February, but the NFL is claiming they just now saw the video even though TMZ was able to procure it despite the fact that the Cleveland hotel where the incident took place had the video and it is apparently their policy to only provide such video footage to local law enforcement. The Cleveland PD supposedly did not provide the NFL any video.

The Chiefs released a statement, saying, “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.”

So TMZ was able to get the video no problem, but somehow the NFL and the Chiefs were not. The credibility of that statement notwithstanding, the Raiders won’t have to worry about facing Kareem Hunt on Sunday, and nobody else will either for a long time.