Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (L) has made the Pro Bowl in every season since being picked in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He is under contract through the 2019 season. File Photo by Kyle Rivas/UPI |
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April 26 (UPI) -- The Kansas City Chiefs have barred Tyreek Hill from team activities after hearing an audio recording in which Hill's fiancee accuses him of child abuse.
The recording -- which aired on KCTV in Kansas City -- surfaced Thursday. On Wednesday, Johnson County district attorney Stephen M. Howe said charges would not be filed against Hill in relation to the incident involving his 3-year-old son. Police were called to Hill's home twice in March and investigators determined the boy had been injured.
Howe said Wednesday that he believed a crime occurred, but the evidence wasn't clear in establishing who committed the crime.
Hill also released a statement after the prosecutor declined to file charges.
"My son's health and happiness is my number one priority," Hill said. "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."
KCTV reported that Howe now has the audio recording.
"We were deeply disturbed by what we heard [on the recorded conversation]," general manager Brett Veach told reporters Thursday.
"We were deeply concerned. Now, obviously, we have great concern for [fiancee] Crystal [Espinal]. We are greatly concerned for Tyreek. But our main focus, our main concern, is with the young child."
Veach said the Chiefs were made aware of the recording at the same time it reached the public. He said the Chiefs will continue to gather information and "make the right decision" in regards to potential discipline.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did an interview with ESPN before the recording was released. He said the league is investigating the issue.
"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."
Veach made his statement after the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, which took place Thursday in Nashville.
"As soon as the draft concluded after the last pick I had the chance to call [Hill's agent] Drew Rosenhaus and we decided that at this time and for the foreseeable future Tyreek Hill will not take part in any team activities," Veach said. "We are going to gather more information were going to evaluate this information and we will make the right decision regarding Tyreek Hill."
The Chiefs begin OTA off-season workouts on May 21 and start mandatory mini-camp on June 11. Hill, 25, is entering his fourth season since being selected in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
