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Ray Rice has issued an apology via a statement to the city of Baltimore for the domestic violence scandal he became entrenched in that prompted a nationwide discussion about domestic assault, the New York Post reports.
Itās been almost a year since Rice was arrested for assaulting his then-fiancee, Janay Palmer, in the elevator of an Atlantic City, N.J., casino. Video footage released of the incident showed Rice punching Janay and rendering her unconscious.
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āTo all the kids who looked up to me, Iām truly sorry forĀ letting you down but I hope itās helped you learn that one badĀ decision can turn your dream into a nightmare,ā he said in theĀ statement, addressed to āDear Baltimore.ā
āThere is no excuse for domestic violence and I apologizeĀ for the horrible mistake I made,ā he added. āI hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, and IĀ hope to make a positive difference in peopleās lives by raisingĀ awareness of this issue.ā
The assault, as the Post notes, led to the strengthening of NFL policies on domestic violence and sexual assault.
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Rice, who was let go from the Ravens following the assault, had spent his seven-year career with that team. He also thanked the team and the city in his note.Ā āThe last seven years that my family and I have spent inĀ Baltimore have by far been the best of our lives,ā he wrote. āFrom the bottom of my heart, I thank you all for the love andĀ support youāve shown my family and I throughout my footballĀ career.
āWeāll always be grateful for the love weāve received fromĀ all of our fans and supporters, and for winning a Super Bowl,āĀ Rice added.Ā āIāll always be proud to say I played for the BaltimoreĀ Ravens.ā
As the Post notes, Rice pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault in May and entered into a pretrial intervention program.
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Read more at the New York Post.
