Wshington: Ray Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the National Football League (NFL) on Monday after video footage emerged showing him punching and knocking out his fiancee.

Just 19 months after the star running back helped Baltimore win the Super Bowl, Rice was dismissed in disgrace, with the Ravens terminating a contract that would have paid him $10 million over the next three years.

The new video released online by TMZ shows Rice striking Janay Palmer, now his wife, with his left fist in a February altercation in an Atlantic City casino elevator.

“It’s something we saw for the first time today,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said of the video. “It changed things.”

Instead of Rice preparing to return on Friday from a two-game ban seen by most as far too lenient, the domestic violence episode exploded as the biggest sports story in America, drawing the attention of US President Barack Obama.

“The President is the father of two daughters. And, like any American, he believes that domestic violence is contemptible and unacceptable in a civilised society,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.

“Hitting a woman is not something a real man does, and that’s true whether or not an act of violence happens in the public eye, or, far too often, behind closed doors.”

An earlier TMZ video release only showed Rice carrying an unconscious Palmer off the elevator and brought the two-game ban from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who admitted last month he blundered with so small a suspension.

A tougher new domestic violence policy requires a six-game suspension for a first violation, and, for repeat offenders, indefinite and possible lifetime bans.

Both the NFL and team said they had not seen the punch video earlier, but Harbaugh could not explain why the league did not obtain the casino security video footage.

“It wasn’t made available,” he said.

Many were skeptical the world’s richest league lacked the influence to gather such evidence, with free agent tight end Tom Crabtree tweeting: “NFL never saw that video before today. I also have a bridge I’d like to sell you.”

Retired Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, whose mother suffered domestic abuse, said he still wants to help his former Super Bowl champion teammate.

“For me it stings because he’s a friend. I always tried to take this young man and teach him something different,” Lewis said.