Tyreek Hill abuse case: Former Chiefs WR once lost custody of his son during ongoing investigation
Tyreek Hill found himself in a troubling ordeal while with the Chiefs, losing custody of his three-year-old son in April 2019. He and his fiancee, Crystal Espinal, were reportedly removed from custody amid a child abuse investigation. The pair were reportedly in court as part of a “child in need of care” case, per the Kansas City Star.
Authorities in Kansas City chose not to file charges after a police report was filed in March 2019. Despite not filing charges, they did investigate allegations of battery against a juvenile that were mentioned in the report. The latter notes that the child had a broken arm.
As a result, the NFL conducted its own investigation into the incident. The league contacted the Kansas City police to get reports. The reports were of recent child abuse complaints involving Espinal and Tyreek Hill in relation to supposed injuries suffered by the couple's son.
The league wrote in a letter that it was looking at the case in terms of disciplining the then-Kansas City Chiefs star.
The letter said:
"Reviewing this incident to evaluate whether a violation of the NFL Personal Conduct Policy occurred related to a complaint or arrest involving an NFL employee, in this case, Mr. Hill.”
In December 2014, Tyreek Hill choked and punched Espinal, who was carrying their son at the time. He pled guilty to domestic assault and battery by strangulation and was dismissed from Oklahoma State. Those charges were later removed from public record.
Ultimately, the NFL declined to discipline him after its four-month investigation, and the Kansas City Chiefs welcomed him back to the team without punishment.
Tyreek Hill and his 2019 season
The 2019 season was Tyreek Hill's fourth season in the NFL after having back-to-back seasons of over 1,100 yards. His numbers dipped a bit in the 2019 season, with just 860 yards on 58 receptions and seven touchdowns. Despite the numbers, he still made it to his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl that season.