Tyreek Hill, a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, was detained by Miami-Dade police officers over a traffic violation on Sept. 8. Hill, who was on his way to the season-opening game for the NFL team, was asked to pullover after nearby officers recorded him going 60 mph without wearing a seatbelt.
When the officers approached Hill’s car, the altercation quickly escalated after Hill refused to roll his window down again, leading to him being asked to step out of the car and be handcuffed.
Newly released bodycam footage shows Hill being forced to the ground face-down to be handcuffed and then being forced to sit on the curb despite him saying the position would cause pain in his surgically-repaired knee.
Teammate Calais Campbell, who was driving nearby when the scene unfolded, was also placed into handcuffs when he approached the officers on Hill’s behalf.
The Dolphins players were briefly detained before being released in time to make the game. Hill was given two fines, a $179 fine for careless driving and another $129 fine for failing to wear a seatbelt.
The wide receiver didn’t let the altercation interfere with his performance on the field, making a comeback with a key touchdown in the third quarter. Hill celebrated the win by mimicking being handcuffed in the end zone, a tongue-in-cheek way to demonstrate that the earlier events of the day would not take away from the Dolphins win over the Jaguars, 20-17.
Yet the strong opening to the NFL 2024-2025 season did not distract Hill from his intention of potentially planning to sue over the traffic violations. “He is a big supporter of the police…But this is crazy,” Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told ESPN. Hill spoke of the incident at a press conference after the game, expressing his confusion.
“They said I was speeding, but I don’t know,” Hill told the press, expressing his concern that he was detained due to being a high-profile athlete. Hill stated that the arresting officer should be fired for the disrespect he showed to Hill and his teammates. Hill has spoken publicly about the incident in order to raise awareness of the existence of improper use of force, believing the situation may have been worse if he was not a known athlete.
The Miami-Dade Police Department justified Hill’s arrest by citing his initially uncooperative behavior. The department is now conducting an investigation of arresting officer Daniel Torres after the backlash received for what many consider an overly aggressive altercation. Torres, now on administrative leave while the investigation is ongoing, has been suspended six times prior to this incident. Eight sustained allegations against Torres include instances of improper use of force and conduct violations.
While it is still unclear whether Hill will pursue legal action, it is clear that the incident has raised a bigger concern for police misconduct.
