Originally Posted by :
Now that the full 11-minute recording of Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill and his now former fiancee, Crystal Espinal, talking about violence in their relationship has been aired, many fans are saying wow, this changes everything.
It does? That Hill, who didn’t know Espinal was taping him, denies ever hitting her or their son in what he thought was a private conversation is neither surprising nor exculpatory.
Abusers typically tell not only the police but friends, family, therapists, priests and even themselves they’ve never done anything wrong.
And if anything, the fact that Hill now says he didn’t hit punch or choke Espinal in 2014 makes him look worse rather than better. He pleaded guilty to those charges, publicly apologized, went through extensive therapy and declared himself reformed after probation. If he’s now back to saying that none of this ever happened, that’s not just a lie but a worrying one.
“I didn’t touch you in 2014,” he says on the tape. “And put that on everything I love, bro. That’s the real truth.”
That Espinal isn’t screaming at him that no, it’s not the truth, real or otherwise, is taken by some supporters as proof that he is innocent.
But why a woman who has been injured by him before and he’s threatening to hurt again might not do that should be obvious.
When she instead repeatedly asks him where her bruises came from if he never hit her, he doesn’t answer because there isn’t an answer that he likes well enough to repeat.
On Thursday, Espinal filed a petition in Johnson County seeking a paternity test for their newborn twins. She has full custody of them — they live with her — and she is asking for child support and only supervised visits for Hill. Her lawyer in the matter is legal counsel for SAFEHOME, a Johnson County group that supports survivors of domestic violence.
The NFL, meanwhile, seems ready to let Hill off with a brief suspension because the legal case against him isn’t going anywhere, but these things are still true:
Hill’s son was removed from his home after a child abuse investigation was launched. The Johnson County district attorney said the 3-year-old child had been hurt, but he didn’t have enough proof to prosecute.
On the tape, we heard Hill threaten the mother of his children with physical violence: “You need to be scared of me, too, dumb bitch.” He berates and belittles, calls her “bro” and “bitch” and of course, claims she ruined his life.
Denial of all wrongdoing is so standard in abuse cases that just a look at Thursday’s Star provides other examples, including that of Scott Hacker, the now former Parkville police officer charged with domestic violence after allegedly shooting his gun inside his home, throwing the woman who called 911 onto the couch, grabbing her by the throat and blaming her for “ending his career” by calling for help. Both before and after the cops arrived, he said he hadn’t shot the gun or touched her. But oops: A security camera in the living room apparently recorded the assault.
What Espinal was trying to get was the audio equivalent of that video.
If the NFL lets Hill back on the field this season, it will send the message that making threats and showing you’ve learned nothing from probation is no real problem, as long as you can run fast enough. The help he needs is not more denial, but just the opposite.
To the rest of you who are intent on seeing Hill as the victim, KCTV as a villain for not immediately releasing the full tape, and Espinal as a “manipulator” for wanting evidence to back her up in court, we could suggest some reading on the well-researched subject of abuse. But why, when you seem to prefer not to know?
Originally Posted by Kiimosabi:
lol I'm convinced somebody voted down my post because they didn't know which Patrick I was talking about. Who would side with that guy?
Who registered in the last ten minutes?
Took me a second myself but I up voted to offset it because this is CP reddit or something. [Reply]
The best part...is they haven't, yet, realized their careers in KC are over. The city is too small for something this fucked up. I'm enjoying watching them squirm...slowly coming to the realization.
What can Fat Brooke really contribute if she's not writing DV hit-pieces? She's terrible at covering actual football related stories...and she sure as shit isn't going to attempt to write another controversial one.
KCTV5 is screwed...they are getting sued to the stone age and know it. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BlackOp:
The best part...is they haven't, yet, realized their careers in KC are over. The city is too small for something this fucked up. I'm enjoying watching them squirm...slowly coming to the realization.
What can Fat Brooke really contribute if she's not writing DV hit-pieces? She's terrible at covering actual football related stories...and she sure as shit isn't going to attempt to write another controversial one.
KCTV5 is screwed...they are getting sued to the stone age and know it.
Tyreek should offer them a "plea deal."
Fire Angie and Rosen and they will drop any lawsuit.
Jabbrooke will leave on her own when the players "no comment" her into oblivion. [Reply]
Some of the most argumentative and emotionally driven drivel I’ve ever read from a once legit newspaper sports section... it reads like a defensive - NO YOURE WRONG - screed worthy of the most obnoxious posters on this board
They just told all you idiots to go suck eggs, we’re right and you’re WRONG... I hope all of you locals smash their ass into a mudhole
A real newspaper chastising it’s own readers like that, unreal... make them suffer [Reply]
Originally Posted by Hammock Parties:
Tyreek should offer them a "plea deal."
Fire Angie and Rosen and they will drop any lawsuit.
Jabbrooke will leave on her own when the players "no comment" her into oblivion.
I've been curious how the press will be handled this season. Are the players contractually required to meet with the press in the locker room and after the game? I think the team is required to do a press conference, but can the team just ignore any questions from KCTV5 and the Star, and just say, "No comment. Next person?"
If the team is behind Tyreek, it would be funny if they only answered questions from KCTV5 and the Star in nonsensical free verse.
TV5 reporter: Mr. Player, how did you feel about scoring the winning touchdown today?
Player: Four pizzas played the accordion in Ganymede's orbit. [Reply]
Originally Posted by BlackOp:
No...he needs to sue the living shit out of them. Take them to the fucking cleaners... They'll lose their jobs after...if not before.
The whole orgs do not deserve to suffer for this.
Dani and Tom are KCTV5 are really good at their jobs.
Sam and Vahe are pretty fair - they were just deceived originally like a lot of us.
Accountability just needs to be served. This should never happen again in this town.
Media got in bed with CRIMINALS and DEADBEATS and kept doubling down on it and nearly ruined an innocent man.
Originally Posted by Easy 6:
Some of the most argumentative and emotionally driven drivel I’ve ever read from a once legit newspaper sports section.
It goes beyond just the sports section, the entire KC Star newspaper has decided to declare war on Tyreek, led by the Editorial Board.
But I guess that is to be expected when the Editorial Page Editor was recently elected to the hall of fame of an organization whose stated mission is to "practice intersectional trans-inclusive feminism". [Reply]
