CLEVELAND — The Browns spoke to suspended running back Kareem Hunt after he was involved in an incident outside a downtown bar.
The 23-year-old Hunt, who will serve an eight-game NFL ban this season for off-field physical altercations, got into an argument with a friend late Saturday night. TMZ.com obtained a video taken near the Barley House, a popular night spot, of Hunt talking to officers. During the brief clip, one of them says to Hunt: “I saw him push you.”
Hunt was not arrested and Sgt. Jennifer Ciaccia, a Cleveland police spokeswoman, said no reports were filed.
Browns spokesman Peter Jean-Baptiste said the club was aware of the incident, talked to Hunt and will have no further comment.
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy declined to comment.
While the incident appears inconsequential, Hunt could be criticized for poor judgment given his precarious state. Browns general manager John Dorsey, who drafted Hunt with Kansas City in 2017, has vowed a “zero-tolerance” policy with the star back.
Hunt received his eight-game penalty from the league for his violent behavior, which included him shoving and kicking a woman in the hallway of a Cleveland hotel in February 2018.
The Chiefs said Hunt lied to them about the incident and the team released him in December during a playoff push. Hunt led the league in rushing as a rookie.
Dorsey, though, felt Hunt deserved another chance and signed him February, saying he knew the player well and wanted to help him.
At the team’s minicamp in May, Hunt spoke to reporters for the first time since joining the Browns and said he told Dorsey he could trust him. That same week, Dorsey and new Browns coach Freddie Kitchens surprised Hunt when the player was being baptized.
Dorsey has insisted Hunt has followed a program set up for him by the team. He’s received counseling and spoken to youth groups about staying out of trouble.
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