OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs effectively suspended Tyreek Hill from all team-related activities Thursday night while they investigate an audio recording that aired on a local TV station in which the star wide receiver’s fiancee accused him of abusing their 3-year-old son.

The recording surfaced one day after prosecutors said they believed abuse had occurred in Hill’s home last month but that they could not press charges because it was unclear who committed the crime.

Chiefs general manager Brett Veach read a statement after the conclusion of the first round of the NFL draft that said the team became aware of the recording between Hill and his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, in “real-time” — just like the general public.

Afterward, Veach called Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, and informed him that Hill would no longer be allowed to work out with the team. The Chiefs are in the midst of voluntary offseason workouts.

“We were deeply disturbed by what we heard. We have deep concern for Crystal, and are concerned for Tyreek, but we have real concern for the child,” Veach said in his statement. “We are going to continue to gather information and we will make the right decision.”

Veach declined to take any questions. Chiefs coach Andy Reid and chairman Clark Hunt, who also were in the building for the start of the draft, were not made available.

Police were called to Hill’s home twice last month and investigators determined their child had been injured. On Wednesday, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said charges would not be filed but that he was “deeply troubled” by the situation and said “we believe a crime has occurred.”

Howe also said the case could be reopened if new information surfaced.

Hill released a statement through his attorney earlier Thursday in which he said his “son’s health and happiness is my number one priority.” Hill said his focus is on “working hard to be the best person for my family and our community that I can be, and the best player to help our team win.”

Less than eight hours later, KCTV in Kansas City aired part of an 11-minute audio file in which Espinal tells Hill that when asked about an injury to the child’s arm, the boy replied:, “Daddy did it.”

Hill denied any role in what happened to the child, saying: “He says Daddy does a lot of things.”

Espinal also tells Hill their son is “terrified of you.”

Hill replies, “You need to be terrified of me, too, bitch.”

Later in the conversation, Espinal asks Hill, “What do you do when the child is bad? You make him open up his arms and you punch him in the chest.”

KCTV said the audio was sent to the station without disclosing from whom. The station said it had shared the audio with Howe’s office, which did not return a message late Thursday.

Hill is a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with a history of domestic issues, including a case in which he was accused of punching Espinal while she was pregnant and they were attending Oklahoma State.

Hill’s attorney, Trey Pettlon, has said that the wide receiver has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation. Pettlon also said that Hill waived his Fifth Amendment rights, answered questions from law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families, and that he would continue to cooperate with authorities as they provide a safe environment for the child.

That statement was thrown into question by the audio, during which Espinal indicates she covered for Hill while answering questions from investigators: “Now I really want you to sit and think about it,” she tells Hill, “because I rode for you against that detective.”

Howe would not say who has custody of the child other than to say he is safe.

“We’re talking about a minor, a child, and the system and DCF and in child investigations, we have to be very cognizant about protecting the rights of the child,” Howe said Wednesday. “We have to respect the wishes of the individuals involved in the case.”

Hill is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Chiefs have little depth at wide receiver. That means it is possible the Chiefs could target a pass-catcher when they make one of their three picks Friday night — they traded their first-round pick to Seattle earlier this week as part of a package to acquire pass rusher Frank Clark, who has his own history of domestic violence.

Last year, the Chiefs released star running back Kareem Hunt following a video that showed him pushing and kicking a woman in a hotel hallway.

Before the audio of Hill was broadcast, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell warned about making any judgments before getting all the facts. But he did make it clear that Hill could be punished under the league’s personal conduct policy, regardless of the legal situation.

“You don’t make a decision without having those facts,” Goodell said.

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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — A television station aired audio Thursday it says shows Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill telling his fiancee about punching and using a belt to discipline their son one day after prosecutors reluctantly declined to file charges in a domestic incident.

Police were called to Hill’s home twice last month and investigators determined the 3-year-old child had been injured. On Wednesday, Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe said charges would not be filed, but acknowledged he was “deeply troubled” by the situation and said “we believe a crime has occurred.” He said there was not enough evidence to conclusively establish who committed it.

Hill released a statement through his attorney earlier Thursday in which he said his “son’s health and happiness is my number one priority.” Hill also said that his focus is on “working hard to be the best person for my family and our community that I can be, and the best player to help our team win.”

Less than eight hours later, KCTV in Kansas City aired part of an 11-minute audio file in which Hill’s fiancee, Crystal Espinal, tells Hill their son had said, “Daddy did it.”

Hill denies any role in what happened to the child’s arm, adding: “He says Daddy does a lot of things.”

She also tells Hill their son is “terrified of you.”

Hill replies, “You need to be terrified of me, too, bitch.”

Later in the conversation, Espinal asks Hill, “What do you do when the child is bad? You make him open up his arms and you punch him in the chest.”

KCTV said the audio was sent to the station without disclosing from whom. The station said it had shared the audio with Howe’s office, which did not return a message left late Thursday. Howe has acknowledged that the case could be reopened if there was new evidence.

Neither the Chiefs nor an attorney for Hill responded to a request for comment.

Hill is a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with a history of domestic issues, including a case in which he was accused of punching Espinal while she was pregnant and they were attending Oklahoma State.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach sidestepped questions about Hill’s legal situation last week, even as the wide receiver reported for the start of offseason workouts.

Howe said the NFL attempted to contact the district attorney’s office to gather information for its own investigation. The league could still punish Hill even if he is not charged with a crime.

Hill’s attorney, Trey Pettlon, has said that the wide receiver has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation. Pettlon also said that Hill waived his Fifth Amendment rights, answered questions from law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families, and that he would continue to cooperate with authorities as they provide a safe environment for the child.

Howe would not say who has custody of the child because of an ongoing DCF investigation.

“We’re talking about a minor, a child, and the system and DCF and in child investigations, we have to be very cognizant about protecting the rights of the child,” Howe said. “We have to respect the wishes of the individuals involved in the case.”

Hill is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Chiefs have little depth at wide receiver. That means it is possible the Chiefs could target a pass-catcher when they make one of their three picks Friday night — they traded their first-round pick to Seattle earlier this week as part of a package to acquire pass rusher Frank Clark, who has his own history of domestic violence.

It’s unclear whether the new audio of Hill will change the Chiefs’ approach, though they did set a precedent late last year when it comes to domestic violence cases. That’s when they released star running back Kareem Hunt following a video that showed him pushing and kicking a woman in a hotel hallway.

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OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Chiefs star wide receiver Tyreek Hill maintained his innocence Thursday after prosecutors in suburban Kansas City declined to charge him in a domestic incident involving his fiancee and 3-year-old son even after concluding a crime occurred.

Hill said in a statement provided by his attorney that his “son’s health and happiness is my number one priority.” Hill also said that his focus is on “working hard to be the best person for my family and our community that I can be, and the best player to help our team win.”

Police were called to the Hill’s home twice last month, and investigators determined that his child had been injured the second time. On Wednesday, the district attorney in Johnson County, Kansas, declined to press charges because he could not determine who was responsible for the injuries.

“We are deeply troubled by this situation,” DA Steve Howe said. “We believe a crime has occurred, however, the evidence in this case does not conclusively establish who committed this crime.”

The Chiefs said they were aware of the prosecutor’s decision but declined further comment. Howe said the NFL attempted to contact the district attorney’s office to gather information for its own investigation. The league could still punish Hill even though he was not charged with a crime. The league has declined to comment on the case.

Hill’s attorney, Trey Pettlon, said that the receiver has cooperated with law enforcement throughout the investigation. Pettlon also said that Hill waived his Fifth Amendment rights, answered questions from law enforcement and the Department of Children and Families, and that he would continue to cooperate with authorities as they provide a safe environment for the child.

Howe would not say who has custody of the child because of an ongoing DCF investigation.

“We’re talking about a minor, a child, and the system and DCF and in child investigations, we have to be very cognizant about protecting the rights of the child,” he said. “We have to respect the wishes of the individuals involved in the case.”

Chiefs coach Andy Reid and general manager Brett Veach sidestepped questions about Hill’s legal situation last week as the wide receiver reported for the start of offseason workouts.

Hill is a two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with a history of domestic issues, including a case in which he was accused of punching his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, while he was at Oklahoma State.

Hill is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and the Chiefs have little depth at wide receiver. That means it is possible the Chiefs could target a pass-catcher when they make one of their three picks Friday night — they traded their first-round pick to Seattle earlier this week as part of a package to acquire pass rusher Frank Clark.

“I don’t know if it changes the priorities. We have a good group of guys that we really like,” Veach said of Hill’s situation. “I think we have some guys that are still here that maybe people don’t know about or realize that we know more about. But receiver, if there is a receiver that we like, early on we absolutely wouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.”

 

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas child welfare authorities investigated two reports of possible abuse or neglect involving a Wichita couple in the 17 months before their 3-year-old son was found dead in his crib.

The Kansas Department of Children and Families on Thursday completed its investigation into the April 12 death of Zaiden Javonovich, who authorities believe was dead days before his body was discovered.

In a report summary obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, the agency said it found physical abuse and neglect in the case but provided no other details.

Zaiden’s mother, Brandi Marchant, 22, and his father, Patrick Javonovich, 28, are charged with felony murder and child abuse in Zaiden’s death. His body was found April 11 when police went to the home after receiving a call about a domestic disturbance. Zaiden’s 4-month-old brother, who is Marchant’s son, was found injured and hospitalized in critical condition.

In November 2017, the Department of Children and Families investigated possible emotional abuse after a report that Marchant made homicidal and suicidal statements in front of the children. One child who reported a homicidal statement mentioned Zaiden, according to the report. Several people were interviewed but investigators could not substantiate the claim.

A year later, the department was told the younger boy tested positive for marijuana at birth. The case could not be investigated as an abuse/neglect case because medical officials did not indicate the boy’s health was hurt by marijuana use, the summary states.

Instead, a Family in Need of Assessment case was started. A social worker who met with the couple found both children appearing healthy, with all necessary supplies for the infant, according to the report. The parents, who are not married, completed a federally required plan of safe care and in another visit, Marchant completed a Department of Children and Families safety plan. The case was closed Jan. 14.

The Wichita Eagle reported the agency rejected a request for information about the younger boy. Spokesman Eric Smith confirmed the department received a report of alleged abuse and is investigating.

WICHITA, KAN. – Danny Chapman, 68, Wichita, was sentenced Thursday to two years on supervised probation for operating a gambling business and failing to pay income taxes on the proceeds, according to U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister.

In addition, Chapman agreed to forfeit more than $1.6 million in cash, as well as cars, jewelry and other items.

Chapman pleaded guilty to one count of operating an illegal gambling business and one count of tax evasion.

In his plea, Chapman admitted he worked as a sports bookmaker in the Wichita area and had at least five people working for him. Chapman and his subordinates took bets on sporting events from clients in their “book” of bettors and collected from clients who lost their bets. They arranged for clients to place bets through online gambling web sites that were created and hosted in Costa Rica. Chapman and subordinates kept a portion of the money they collected. The operation grossed as much as $2,000 in a single day.

Chapman admitted he failed to pay almost $345,000 in federal income taxes on his earnings from illegal gambling.