Bills release Matt Araiza amid rape allegations

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WIVB) — The Bills announced Saturday night that they have released punter Matt Araiza amid rape allegations against him.

On Thursday, a civil lawsuit was filed in California alleging that he and two former San Diego State University teammates raped a 17-year-old girl in October 2021.

Araiza released a statement Friday night through his agent, which was obtained by News 4, stating: “The facts of the incident are not what they are portrayed in the lawsuit or in the press. I look forward to quickly setting the record straight.” He was held out of Friday night's preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.

"We don't have all the facts and that's what makes it hard. But at this time, we think it's the best move for everyone to move on from Matt and let him take care of this situation," general manager Brandon Beane said Saturday.

Beane said that the team found out about the accusations in late July, from the plaintiff's representatives. Her attorney, Dan Gilleon, has said that he first notified the team around that same time.

"It's bigger than football," Beane said. "It's something you have to respond to. We're not the judge and the jury but again, it's bigger than football."

Beane added that the team found out about the allegations through Kathryn D'Angelo, the team's assistant legal counsel.

"One of those things on there, if true, would be a no-go for us. We just needed to put as many facts together as we could in a limited amount of time," Beane said. "Obviously, Matt's version was different and you want to give everyone as much due process as you can."

Beane said that to the team's understanding, Araiza found out "around" the same time that the team did that he was under investigation and hired his attorney, Kerry Armstrong. According to a text message exchange that was tweeted by Gilleon, Armstrong said "[Araiza's] very nice parents have asked me to reach out to you and ask what number your client is looking for."

"As Brandon said, we've tried to sort through a lot of information, it's ongoing, and that to me has been one of the harder parts of this and that information continues to flow, it seems," Bills head coach Sean McDermott said.

On Monday, the Bills had released Matt Haack, the other punter on the roster during training camp, three days before the lawsuit was made public. The release of Haack indicated that Araiza had won the starting job at punter.

"That's a tough one," Beane said. "You can second guess whether that was the right move and we'll definitely look at that one going forward."

The Bills had drafted Araiza in the sixth round of the NFL Draft last April.

Watch the full press conference above.

This is a developing story, check back for updates.



from KLAS https://ift.tt/M2OTDvc

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post-pandemic stress leaves many lacking proper sleep

LAS VEGAS (KLAS)-- Covid-19 has changed the lives of many around the world, but the stress that came with it is still lingering for some individuals more than two years later. "I'm averaging three hours of sleep every night for the last two months," said Kortney Olson, a local who's been dealing with lingering pandemic stressors. "I'm in the apparel business, so supply chain issues and really logistics everything was so slimmed down it caused an immense amount of stress and it carried over." Pre-pandemic, she said she was averaging six hours of sleep per night, but now, no matter what she tries, it's hard for her to get a good night's rest. A study by the Sleep Foundation revealed that around 40 percent of people had issues sleeping during the pandemic. And Dinisha Mingo, CEO of Mingo Health Solutions, said, among other issues, she has seen an increase of patients coming in regarding sleep. Mingo said with schedules being thrown off for two
Read more

David Koresh's Camaro - aka 'Armageddon's Relic' - from Waco siege for sale in Las Vegas

Image
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) -- Owning a piece of history is special to many people, especially if it item is tied to an event that made worldwide headlines. But those headlines are not always good. On April 19, 1993, 76 men, women, and children died in Branch Davidian compound fire in Waco, TX. All of them were followers of one man, David Koresh. Now, the car that Koresh owned, and is thought to be his escape car, is for sale right here in Las Vegas. The 1968 Chevrolet Camaro SS 427 Coupe has been dubbed 'Armageddon's Relic' and is being sold at Vegas Auto Gallery by its current owner, Ghost Adventures host and the man behind the Las Vegas Haunted Museum, Zak Bagans. The true asking price is being kept quiet to all but serious buyers, but according to Vegas Auto Gallery General Manager Ken Tangen, it will cost someone six figures to own this ride. It comes with a reprinted copy of the Waco, TX title showing Koresh owned the car. The car itself also has a custom stamp
Read more

These 10 retailers offer pickup options so you can still get your last-minute Christmas gifts

Image
BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details. The holidays have arrived. Are you ready? Earlier this year, Amazon announced same-day delivery and pickup of select products from select locations throughout the U.S. As Christmas rapidly approaches and other holidays have already begun, regular delivery schedules prevent products from arriving in time. However, if a store offers pickup options, that means you can still get gifts until the very last minute. But which retailers offer this convenience? What are the advantages of “buy online, pick up in-store”? Although buying online and picking up in the store may sound like a bigger hassle than simply shopping at a brick-and-mortar store, there are actually several benefits: You can do all of your comparison shopping without leaving home and pick the very best product for you with a click. If there is limited stock or you can’t get there right away, you may be able to buy it immediately to ensure you
Read more