TYREEK HILL ADMITS PUSHING KEETA VACCARO INTO WALL IN TESTIMONY

Tyreek Hill testified on Thursday in a civil trial brought by Keeta Vaccaro, who accuses him of assault and battery. Hill admitted he told her, "Don't you ever touch me in your life," before pushing her into a wall during an argument and creating a hole in it as he tried to force her away. He also admitted previously threatening Vaccaro, telling her he was "able to get people to hurt her," a remark he said left him "deeply ashamed." Hill denied her allegations that he hit her, scratched her, spat in her face, or tried to punch her in the stomach while she was pregnant.

Reports differ on Vaccaro's relationship to Hill: one calls her his ex-wife in a civil suit, while another calls her his estranged wife in a divorce trial. Vaccaro's mother also gave evidence. Hill's admissions about the wall incident and the threat follow from recordings of his own words, while his denials of the other allegations rest on his testimony alone. The case runs alongside a National Football League Personal Conduct Policy investigation into Hill, opened over Vaccaro's allegations, which one report said has taken a back seat to the trial.

Hill, an NFL wide receiver, has been trying to return to the league. One report said the trial has complicated that effort, while another said it has clouded his bid to find a new team. The NFL is expected to assess Vaccaro's allegations separately from the trial's outcome. One report said Hill could face a suspension if league investigators judge Vaccaro's account more credible than his own. No date has been given for when the league's investigation or any disciplinary decision will be completed.