A criminal case against NFL star Tyreek Hill has reopened after a leaked audio recording saw his fiancée Crystal Espinal accuse him of abusing their three-year-old son.
The Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver has been barred from all team activities indefinitely after an audio recording was aired on a local TV station KCTV revealing a conversation between the couple concerning the case.
Its release came hours before the NFL Draft and after Johnson County District Attorney Stephen M announced on Wednesday that charges would not be filed after police visited Hill’s home twice, with investigators concluding his child had been injured.
Yet there was insufficient evidence to suggest who committed the crime, until the recording’s release, in which Espinal confronts Hill, insisting their son told her, “Daddy did it’’ after being asked about his injury.
Hill, who denies any involvement, replied: “He says Daddy does a lot of things.”
To which Espinal says, “A 3-year-old is not going to lie about what happened to his arm. He is terrified of you.”
Hill then replies: “You need to be terrified of me, too, b----.”
Espinal is also heard in the recording stating, “He kept saying ‘Daddy punches me,’ which you do when he starts crying. What do you do? You make him open up his arms, and you punch him in the chest. Then if he gets in trouble, you get the belt out.’’
The date of the recording is unclear, though KCTC claim it occured at Dubai International Airport, with the Chiefs releasing a statement after discovering the recording “live” along with the wider public.
“We were deeply disturbed by what we heard [on the recorded conversation],” general manager Brett Veach said. “We were deeply concerned. Now, obviously, we have great concern for [fiancée] Crystal [Espinal]. We are greatly concerned for Tyreek. But our main focus, our main concern, is with the young child.”
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also asked for time to establish facts before taking any action, which the league can do without criminal charges being made.
“When you get the facts, then you make a decision about how it fits into our personal conduct policy,” Goodell said. “You don’t make a decision without having those facts.”
Hill is cooperating with the investigation and reiterated his love for his family.
“I love and support my family above anything,” Hill said. “My son’s health and happiness is my No. 1 priority. I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs, my attorneys, my agent and my union for supporting me through this.
“My focus remains on working hard to be the best person for my family and our community I can be, and the best player to help our team win.”
