Ravens Star Ray Rice Indicted On Aggravated Assault Charges
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Ravens running back Ray Rice is indicted on criminal charges--and that could mean jail time. Rice is accused of knocking out his fiancee during a night out in Atlantic City.
Meghan McCorkell has details of the indictment.
Rice was initially charged with simple assault, but prosecutors have upgraded those charges to aggravated assault.
It's the video that rocked Ravens Nation--surveillance tape obtained by TMZ shows star running back Ray Rice dragging his seemingly unconscious fiancee out of a casino elevator.
Atlantic City Police say the two hit one another during a fight at the Revel Casino on February 15. Rice's blow knocked Janay Palmer out.
Now a grand jury has indicted Rice with aggravated assault, saying he "knowingly caused significant bodily injury" to Palmer under circumstances "manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life."
Charges against Palmer are dropped.
"As difficult as it can be in a situation like this, it's really important to reserve judgment until all the facts are in," said legal analyst Andrew Levy.
Levy says the video may not tell the whole story.
"We've only seen what is apparently a small portion of what occurred that evening," he said.
Rice's attorney tells our media partner, The Baltimore Sun, neither Rice nor his fiancee want to go through with this prosecution. He says Rice and Palmer, who have a daughter, are still together and in counseling.
Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti has called the incident "embarrassing" and "disappointing," but says the team will support Rice.
To View Full Indictment Against Ray Rice, Click Here
The Ravens released a statement, saying: "This is part of the due process for Ray. We know there is more to Ray Rice than this one incident."
If convicted, Ray Rice could face three to five years behind bars.
NFL officials say the case is being closely monitored. So far, the league hasn't issued any punishment for Rice.
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