MIAMI — NFL star wide receiver Tyreek Hill is expected to talk more about the incident where Miami-Dade Police detained him before the Miami Dolphins opening game on Sunday.
On Wednesday afternoon, Hill is planning to speak to the media to discuss the situation further after Miami-Dade Police identified one of the officers involved in the incident and his agent Drew Rosenhaus calling for the termination of all officers involved.
Hill’s detainment
Hill, 30, was detained by police on Sunday morning, just hours before the Dolphins’ home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. A senior law enforcement source told CBS News Miami he was stopped for reckless driving.
Video of his detainment went viral on social media, showing passing fans and some teammates seeing Hill in handcuffs on the side of the road with at least three officers around him.
Following the incident, Hill went on to play in Sunday’s game, where he placed his hands behind his back and pretended to be handcuffed following his 80-yard touchdown catch. After the game, Hill told the media his side of what happened during the incident.
On Monday, Miami-Dade Police released bodycam video of the officers detaining Hill. In it, two motorcycle officers went after Hill after he appeared to speed past them in a black McLaren on the roadway and entering Hard Rock Stadium in light traffic. The officers then pulled him over.
One of the motorcycle officers then went to knock on Hill’s window and told him to put it down, which Hill did and handed him his driver’s license. After a brief argument about keeping the window down, the officer demanded Hill to open his door as the second officer commanded him to get out of his sports car.
As the door opened, the second officer is seen dragging Hill out of his car by his arm and head before forcing him face-first onto the ground after the Dolphins wide receiver put up his window during the traffic stop. During the altercation, Hill is seen and heard telling Drew Brooks, the Dolphins’ director of security, on his cellphone that he was “getting arrested.” The officers handcuffed Hill and one of them was shown putting a knee in the middle of the wide receiver’s back. Rosenhaus also came to the scene.
The video showed the altercation between the officers and Hill escalating quickly, as they cursed at Hill but he did not resist their physical force or strike them. The officers then stood Hill up and walked him to the sidewalk, pulling him into a seating position as Hill tried to explain to police he had recently had knee surgery.
At this moment, teammate Jonnu Smith parked his SUV in front of Hill’s car, got out and asked police what was happening. The officers then ordered Smith to get back into his car and leave, saying they would ticket him for blocking the road. Defensive tackle Calais Campbell also pulled up to the scene, where officers told him to leave. When he didn’t, Campbell was briefly handcuffed.
Hill and Campbell were eventually released and allowed to go into the stadium. Hill was cited for careless driving and failing to wear a seatbelt, but he was never arrested.
Detainment aftermath
The officer who detained Hill was placed on administrative duties, pending the findings of an internal investigation. Steadman Stahl, the president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said the officers followed policy in handcuffing Hill.
In a statement Sunday afternoon, Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie V. Daniels said she requested an “immediate review” of the details surrounding the incident and initiated an Internal Affairs investigation “to ensure a thorough review of the matter.”
Daniels wrote she is committed to “transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.”
Daniels told news partner the Miami Herald on Monday that the decision to place the officer on leave came after a review of the body camera footage from the roadside incident.
In a statement Monday night, the Miami Dolphins called the behavior of the officers who were involved “despicable” and urged the Miami-Dade Police Department to take “swift and strong action” against them.
Julius Collins, Hill’s attorney, said on Tuesday they are “demanding for the immediate termination of the officer that has been placed on administrative leave.” He also said the wide receiver’s legal team is exploring all legal options, adding that the traffic stop escalated when Hill gave officers his license and rolled his window back up.
