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NFL Player Suspended After Disturbing Audio Surfaces Of Fiancée Accusing Him Of Abusing Son
“You need to be terrified of me, too,” Tyreek Hill can reportedly be heard telling his fiancée, Crystal Espinal, after she tells him their 3-year-old son is “terrified” of him.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill has been suspended from team activities following the release of audio that reportedly features his fiancée accusing him of abusing their 3-year-old son.
KCTV, a CBS affiliate station based in Kansas City, Missouri, published a portion of the 11-minute recording on Thursday. Hill’s fiancée, Crystal Espinal, can reportedly be heard telling Hill their son said “daddy” broke his arm. After Espinal tells Hill the child is “terrified” of him, Hill can reportedly be heard responding, “You need to be terrified of me, too."
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said the team learned of the recording at the same time as everyone else, when it was released publicly, ESPN reports. They are currently in the process of gathering information and “will make the right decision,” he said.
"We were deeply disturbed by what we heard,” he said in his statement. "We were deeply concerned. Now, obviously, we have great concern for Crystal. We are greatly concerned for Tyreek. But our main focus, our main concern, is with the young child."
Local law enforcement and the Kansas Department of Children and Families launched an investigation into Hill last month regarding the alleged battery of a juvenile, the Kansas City Star reports. An anonymous source close to the situation told the paper that the juvenile in question was Hill’s young son, and that one alleged incident resulted in the child’s arm getting broken.
The audio recording was released the day after Johnson County District Attorney Stephen M. Howe announced that no charges would be filed because, while he did feel that a crime had occurred, there was no clear evidence pointing to which party committed the crime, ESPN reports.
Hill issued a statement after learning that he would not be charged, thanking his team for their support, according to KCTV.
“I love and support my family above anything. My son’s health and happiness is my number one priority,” his statement reads. “I want to thank the Kansas City Chiefs, my attorneys, my agent and my union for supporting me through this. My focus remains on working hard to be the best person for my family and our community I can be, and the best player to help our team win.”
During the recently released recording, both Espinal and Hill reportedly accuse each other of various things, including spanking the child with a belt, with both parties denying the claims. Espinal accused Hill of punching their son in the chest when he cries, but Hill denied doing it.
Espinal also seemed to reference the investigation at one point during the recording, remarking, “And now, somehow this investigation got brought back up, and you're about to lose your [deleted]. Now, I really want you to sit and think about it because I rode for you against that detective and the CPS people.”
Due to the Child Protective Services investigation, both Espinal and Hill have lost custody of the child, KCTV reports. The boy is currently living with another family, although Espinal is allowed supervised visitation, according to the outlet.
