Miami Dolphins call for 'swift and strong action' against officers involved in Tyreek Hill detainment
The Miami Dolphins released a statement Monday calling for “swift and strong action” to be taken against the officers involved in Tyreek Hill‘s detainment for careless driving and a seatbelt violation on Sunday.
Hill, 30, was pulled over by police just hours before Sunday’s Week 1 home matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Miami-Dade Police Department released body cam footage of the incident Monday. The Dolphins referred to the actions taken by officers as “despicable behavior.”
“It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players, yet it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends in peace, as we are grateful this one did,” the statement reads. “‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will carry with resounding impact.”
Body cam footage shows interaction between Tyreek Hill, Miami-Dade police
The body came footage shows Hill’s first interaction with police, in which an officer approached his car. Hill appeared to give the officer his license and registration before rolling his window back up. The officer then knocked on Hill’s window and told him, “Keep your window down or I’m gonna get you out of the car.” After a couple seconds, the officer said, “As a matter of fact, get out of the car.”
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After Hill’s car door opened, he was removed from the car by multiple officers and tossed to the ground. Hill, presumably on the phone with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said, ‘Hey, Drew, I’m getting arrested.” Hill told the officers to take him to jail, in which one replied, “We are, we will.”
Defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who arrived at the scene as Hill was in handcuffs, was approached by an officer and told to leave. After a brief back and forth exchange, Campbell was placed in handcuffs. Campbell, who did not receive a citation, said he was detained for “disobeying a direct order.” Tight end Jonnu Smith was also at the scene, repeatedly told by police to get back in his car and drive away. One officer threatened to give him a ticket.
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Tyreek Hill speaks out on detainment, interaction with police
The Miami-Dade Police Union released a statement Monday, saying Hill was “uncooperative” during the incident. Shortly after the incident, Miami-Dade Police Department director Stephanie V. Daniels revealed that one of the officers involved in the detainment had been placed on administrative leave.
Hill, who hauled in seven receptions for 130 yards and a score in Miami’s 20-17 victory, said after the game he had “no idea” why officers placed him in handcuffs.
“Right now, I’m still trying to put it all together … I still don’t know what happened,” Hill said, via ESPN. “But I do want to use this platform to say, ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ Worst-case scenario, you know? … Everybody has bad apples in every situation, but I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on my end and Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.
“It’s hard. I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets kind of iffy when you do. What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Lord knows what those guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I was doing what my uncle always told me to do whenever you’re in a situation like that — put your hands on the steering wheel and just listen.”