Making a statement and taking a stand against any acts of domestic violence, the Baltimore Ravens cut Ray Rice on Monday. The NFL then suspended him indefinitely.

The announcement comes hours after TMZ Sports released a disturbing video of the star running back punching his then-fiancée, now wife, Janay Palmer, on a Revel Casino hotel elevator in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on February 15. The surveillance footage clearly shows Rice viciously knocking out Palmer with a left-handed punch, as her head bounces off the elevator’s handrails. Rice then drags Palmer’s unconscious body off the elevator.

Earlier today, the NFL released a statement that it hadn’t seen the shocking footage released by TMZ on Monday until today.

"We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator. That video was not made available to us. And no one in our office has seen it until today."

After the release of the video Monday, uproar filled the Internet with sports fans and even NFL players asking that the league reconsiders its light two-game suspension of Rice, which was handed out two months back.

But before the NFL could respond again, the Ravens announced their cutting of  the running back. The league then suspended him indefinitely.

Late last month, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote a letter to the league’s team owners explaining that he failed getting Rice’s suspension correct.

"My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell wrote about the Rice incident and subsequent two-game suspension. "I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values.  I didn’t get it right."

But the Ravens did...and the NFL is now in full support after seeing Monday's disgusting video. 

BET Sports News - Get the latest news and information about African-Americans in sports including weekly recaps, celebrity news and photos of your favorite Black athletes. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. 

(Photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)