Ray Rice and Future Wife Janay Palmer Kissed While in Handcuffs in Aftermath of Elevator Fight: New Surveillance Footage Released

ABC News has obtained never-before-seen security video from the February night where Rice was caught on camera hitting his then-fiancée in the face

By Natalie Finn Dec 20, 2014 1:38 AMTags
Ray Rice, Janay RiceABCNews.com

Shocking? Not shocking? How about no comment?

ABC News has obtained never-before-seen surveillance footage captured in the aftermath of Ray Rice's physical altercation with his then-fiancée-and-now-wife Janay Rice in February, video that shows Janay in tears at first and then, roughly 45 minutes later, sharing a kiss with Ray in an elevator while they were both in handcuffs.

Both Ray and Janay were arrested on simple assault charges immediately following the fight at the Revel Casino in Atlantic City, with the football player's attorney characterizing their blow-up as a "minor physical altercation." The charge against Janay was dropped but the charge against Rice was upgraded to aggravated assault. They tied the knot on March 28, the day after he was indicted.

The then-still-active Baltimore Raven pleaded not guilty and agreed to complete a pretrial diversion program in order to get the charge dropped.

ABCNews.com

The entire thing was caught on camera and TMZ posted video showing Ray dragging a seemingly unconscious or otherwise incapacitated Janay out of the elevator—conduct that initially got him a two-game suspension.

The more graphic footage of Rice hitting Janay in the face was not widely seen until September, after which he was suspended indefinitely by the NFL (since overturned on appeal). The visual sent shockwaves through the league and beyond and prompted immediate calls for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to resign, as the public had a hard time believing he had not been privy to that footage before TMZ got a hold of it.

Janay has since slammed the media for villifying her husband and turning their private lives into a circus, saying in a statement posted to Instagram: "To make us relive a moment in our lives that we regret everyday is a horrible thing."

And it would appear that Janay has been standing by her man since practically minute one.

In the two-minute, 15-second clip newly posted by ABC News, a tearful Janay is first seen in the company of hotel security. Cut to Rice in handcuffs, talking to a member of his entourage, whom he has reach into his pocket to pull out what looks like a wallet or phone.A deputy leads him past where Janay is sitting and, when he leans toward her, she shirks away. She is then helped up and is led away after Rice. The time stamp says 3:28 a.m.

ABCNews.com

About 45 minutes after the first image, per the time code running on the video (which has no audio), Ray and his fiancée are both in handcuffs and officers are transporting them through the building via elevator. The couple are standing close together, Ray seems to be trying to console her, she burrows her head in his neck and, right before they're led away, Rice leans in and gives Janay a kiss.

The footage cuts to outside where Rice is led into one car and Janay is guided into another.