Police report: Ex-NFL star Rypien acknowledges hitting wife

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien acknowledged to a police officer recently that he struck his wife during a domestic dispute, but said it was in self-defense.

A report by Spokane police Officer Todd Brownlee said Rypien admitted hitting his wife Danielle Rypien on June 30 in Spokane.

The former Washington Redskins quarterback told police his wife got the “wind knocked out of her” after he pushed her hands away from his face.

The Spokesman-Review reported Thursday that Mark Rypien’s attorney, Chris Bugbee, stood by his client’s statements, saying that while Mark Rypien struck his wife, it was in self-defense.

Mark Rypien was arrested and pleaded not guilty to a charge of domestic violence. He was released from jail without bail.