NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell described the new video showing Ray Rice punching his then-fiancee in the face as "sickening,"
USA Today reports.
"It's so graphic, it's so clear, and that's very difficult for anyone to accept. It's sickening," Goodell said. "There was no ambiguity when you saw that tape [Monday]. It was sickening. It was clear what we were hearing was not consistent [with the new video]."
The NFL suspended Rice indefinitely on Monday after Goodell saw the video, shot from inside an elevator at an Atlantic City casino, and Rice's team, the Baltimore Ravens, fired him.
Rice had previously been given a two-game suspension based on security footage shot from outside the elevator that showed Rice dragging an unconscious Janay Palmer out of the elevator. The two have since married.
Goodell has been under fire for not handing out a tougher punishment earlier.
"Our policy stands. What we saw was new evidence yesterday that was not consistent with what was described when we met with Ray and his representatives. We felt we needed to take this step. This was an important step to take. We're going to still apply our policy to any future cases that come before me," Goodell told USA Today.
He said the NFL had asked police for a copy of the video, but had been denied it. Critics, including TMZ's Harvey Levin, who released the video, said Goodell could have obtained the video from the casino itself.
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