CLEVELAND -- The National Football League is pushing back on a report that they did not request video or reports of an incident involving NFL running back Kareem Hunt and a woman at The Metropolitan at the 9 hotel in February.
Cleveland police records indicate that neither the NFL, nor the Chiefs filed public records requests for video or reports, according to Kansas City's KMBC.
The incident happened Feb. 10, but video didn't go public until TMZ posted it last Friday. TMZ had initially reported on the incident in June.
The NFL claims investigation into the incident began immediately following the incident. But KMBC reports that it appears the NFL never filed a public records request with the city until Nov. 30, the day TMZ published the footage.
However, a records request from a name listed as "Greg T" on Feb. 14 names no company affiliation. KMBC says it reached out to the NFL to ask if "Greg T" is an NFL representative and were told that they were 'unaware of who Greg T' is.
Other requests prior to Nov. 30 were made by media outlets and a person who shares an address and last name with the victim, according to KMBC.
Cleveland public records logs don't indicate phone calls and requests can also remain anonymous.
WKYC has reached out to Cleveland police and the NFL for comment.
An NFL spokesman tells WKYC: "We had multiple verbal conversations with Cleveland police officers and requested surveillance video immediately upon learning of the incident in February. In addition, NFL representatives also made requests for surveillance video to the hotel property. We also obtained and reviewed the material developed by the police, which included the written reports prepared by the officers who responded to the incident, and later the interviews that were recorded by bodycams and the recordings of the 911 calls."
According to The Athletic, which cited multiple league sources, the Kansas City Chiefs knew video evidence of the altercation existed, but were told by the NFL to stop pursuing it later in February once the league began its alleged investigation.
The Chiefs released Hunt, a Willoughby South grad, on Friday. No arrests have been made as a result of the incident.
The incident with the 19-year-old woman allegedly occurred in the early hours of Feb. 10. earlier this year. In the video, Hunt can be seen shoving a woman, who proceeded to strike him back, leading to a multi-person scuffle which appeared to end when Hunt kicked the woman as she was already on her knees.
In a separate video, the woman in question can be seen talking to police. As she tearfully explains what happened, she also says that the man at the front desk denied allowing her to call 911, telling her, "That's what you get for being a sl-t."
In another video, Hunt's friends tell police the woman went crazy when asked to leave a hotel room and called Hunt a racial slur.
Hunt told ESPN during an interview on Sunday that the NFL never spoke to him about the incident.
USA Today contributed to this report.