Report: Tyreek Hill's Lawyer 'Categorically Denies' Child Abuse Claims in Letter to NFL

Hill was suspended from all Kansas City team activities on April 26. 
Report: Tyreek Hill's Lawyer 'Categorically Denies' Child Abuse Claims in Letter to NFL
Report: Tyreek Hill's Lawyer 'Categorically Denies' Child Abuse Claims in Letter to NFL /

Tyreek Hill's attorney N. Trey Pettlon "categorically denied" the child abuse allegations made against the Chiefs wide receiver on Thursday, according to ESPN.

An audio recording of Hill and his fiancee Crystal Espinal emerged on April 25 that featured the pair discussing their three-year-old's broken arm and a subsequent police investigation. Espinal accused Hill of hurting their son in the audio recording by saying, "You open up his arms and you punch him in the chest."

"[Hill] categorically denies he has ever 'punched' his son in the chest or anywhere on his body, or otherwise touched him in the chest in a mean-spirited manner or as a form of discipline," Pettlon wrote in a statement obtained by ESPN. "There have been occasions when Tyreek has tapped his son gently on the chest with his fingers, while his son was crying and said, 'man up, buddy' or 'don’t cry, my man'  He has said that in a calm voice trying to redirect him. He’s never used his fist. He certainly doesn’t do it roughly."

Johnson County District Attorney Steve Howe declined to file charges against Hill or Espinal, but the couple did lose temporary custody of their son on April 18. 

Hill was suspended indefinitely from all team activities on April 26. 


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Michael Shapiro
MICHAEL SHAPIRO

Michael Shapiro is a staff writer for Sports Illustrated. He is a Denver native and 2018 graduate of The University of Texas at Austin.