Cleveland PD Launching Internal Investigation into Handling of Kareem Hunt Case

The Cleveland Division of Police is launching an investigation into the handling of documents related to an altercation between former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt and a woman in February. 

On Wednesday, TMZ Sports provided a statement from Cleveland Police, which said a member of its department provided the NFL with the police report without following proper protocol:

"Following an internal review, it has been determined that in February 2018 a member of the Cleveland Division of Police provided a copy of the police report involving the February 10, 2018 assault incident at The 9 to a representative from the National Football League. The report did not go through the official public records request process."

A surveillance video published by TMZ last week showed Hunt shoving and kicking the 19-year-old woman outside a room at The Metropolitan at the 9 hotel in Cleveland earlier this year.

It was the first time the footage was publicly released, though the incident had previously been reported.

Courtney Astolfi of Cleveland.com reported Feb. 12 that two separate police reports were filed following the altercation. One listed Hunt as the suspect and the other named Abigail Ottinger, the 19-year-old woman, as the suspect with both sides alleging assault.

No criminal charges were filed against either party in the case.

Cleveland Police also said Wednesday it's going to review its "overall response" to the situation, per TMZ.

The NFL announced Hunt was being placed on the commissioner exempt list last Friday following the release of the video, which made him ineligible to participate in practices or games, and stated its ongoing investigation would "include a review of the new information that was made public today."

Meanwhile, the Chiefs confirmed the release of Hunt a short time later, stating he "was not truthful in those discussions" about the incident when previously questioned about the incident by the organization.

He cleared waivers and is now a free agent as the NFL probe continues.