Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested on May 29 after police officers in Sandy Springs, an Atlanta, Georgia suburb, witnessed him assaulting his wife, Genesis Ozuna.
The Sandy Springs police department released a video of the incident on Wednesday. The footage, taken from a bodycam worn by one of the police officers, shows that the MLB star was choking his wife as cops burst through his door.
Read more about this incident below, and watch the video of Ozuna assaulting his wife.
The video shows a police officer approaching Ozuna's home.
The door is open, so the officer walks into the house, only to encounter Ozuna, his wife, and another male standing next to each other. In the clip, the MLB star is seen grabbing his wife's neck, and choking her.
"Get your hands off her!" the officer says.
"Get on the ground! Get on the ground!" he repeatedly shouts.
Ozuna is seen complying with the orders and laying down on the floor.
"Step out, step out. Ma'am, step outside," the officer tells Genesis Ozuna.
Ozuna was retroactively suspended 20 games over the incident. According to ESPN, the suspension covers the final 24 days of the regular season, so the outfielder will lose around $1.55 million of his salary.
In a statement, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred explained the league's decision.
"My office has completed its investigation into the allegations that Marcell Ozuna violated Major League Baseball’s Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy. Having reviewed the totality of the available evidence, I have concluded that Mr. Ozuna violated our Policy and that discipline is appropriate."
The Atlanta Braves also issued a statement, and described Ozuna's behavior as "unacceptable."
'Any instance of domestic violence is unacceptable, and we fully support the decision by the commissioner's office regarding Marcell. We are encouraged to know that Marcell has accepted full responsibility for his actions and is taking the necessary measures to learn and grow from the situation," the Braves said.
As ESPN noted, Ozuna re-signed with the Braves in February, on a four-year $65 million deal. He hit 19 home runs and 56 RBIs for the Braves during the 2020 season.
As The Washington Post reported, after getting arrested, Ozuna was charged with aggravated assault strangulation and misdemeanor battery family violence.
Aggravated assault, which is a felony in the state of Georgia, was dropped in July.
Ozuna now faces family violence battery and simple assault charges, which will most likely also be dismissed if he completes the conditions of a diversion program he entered in September.
In May, the Sandy Springs police department said that Ozuna also "struck the victim with his arm which has a cast from a previous injury."
