Information on Miami Dolphins prominent player Tyreek Hill's arrest by law enforcement authorities.
Hill was apprehended merely hours prior to squaring off against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as per his agent's description of a traffic violation. On Monday night, the police department released footage from the incident.
The game's star wide receiver, who went on to score an impressive 80-yard touchdown in the thrilling 20-17 comeback win against the Jaguars, later expressed confusion over his pregame altercation with law enforcement.
Following his touchdown against the Jaguars, Hill mimicked being handcuffed by placing his arms behind his back with his wrists clasped together.
Here are the details of Hill's pregame detainment on Sunday:
Body cam footage exhibits Hill being removed from his car
The Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) unexpectedly released footage from the incident on Monday night, which was captured on police body cameras.
Detective Stephanie V. Daniels, the department's director, stated in a press release, "While the standard protocol is to release bodycam footage after the internal review process is complete, we are releasing the available footage – a total of 105 minutes and 33 seconds – the day after the incident to reaffirm our commitment to informing the public."
The footage shows a police officer approaching Hill's car and tapping on the window after Hill signaled for him to stop. Hill rolls down the window when the officer taps, and in reply, he says, "Hey, don't knock on my window like that." The officer asks Hill why he isn't wearing a seatbelt. Hill does not answer and repeatedly says, "Don't knock on my window like that."
The officer asks why Hill had his window up and explains that he had to knock in order to inform Hill of his presence.
"Give me my ticket, bro, so I can go. I'm going to be late. Do what you have to do," Hill said before rolling up the window.
The officer instructs him to keep the window down and knocks again, but Hill does not appear to respond. Another officer knocks again and instructs Hill to keep the window down. Hill rolls down his window slightly and replies, "Don't tell me what to do."
The officer threatens to make Hill exit the vehicle if he does not comply and immediately orders him out. Another officer opens Hill's car door and begins to pull him out, saying, "Get out!" while Hill responds, "I'm getting out."
Two officers are seen pushing Hill to the ground while another officer stands over. Hill is heard saying, "I'm getting arrested" multiple times, and the officer physically restraining him says, "When we tell you to do something, you do it. You understand? You understand? Not what you want, but what we tell you. You're a little changed."
Hill is heard saying, "I'm getting out, I'm getting out," and the same officer says, "Too late."
"Alright, bro, take me to jail, bro do what you gotta do," Hill says. "We will," the officer responds.
The time between when the officer first knocks on Hill's window and when he is fully handcuffed on the ground is approximately 1.5 minutes. The officers then help Hill to his feet and have him sit on the sidewalk. As an officer slowly leads him to sit on the ground, Hill says, "Hold on, bro. I just had surgery on my knee." As he is speaking, another officer comes behind him and places an arm around his chest. He begins to pull Hill towards the ground as Hill repeats, "I just had surgery on my knee."
The officer restraining Hill says, "Really, what a coincidence. Did you have surgery on your ears when we told you to put the window down?"
"Bro, chill!" Hill yells.
Hill speaks with CNN, noting he's still in shock
Hill spoke with CNN's Kaitlan Collins on Monday, recounting that everything happened very quickly.
"I was following the rules. I wasn't moving fast because you know I've got injuries, I've got things that I go through. I play a physical sport, I've been doing this for a moment now, so I'm dealing with some stuff. So I guess the officers felt like I wasn't doing it on their timing. I was, but I'm still kind of shell-shocked from it,” Hill said. “I'm embarrassed."
Hill also discussed the moment the situation escalated, stating that it began when officers asked him to roll down his window.
"When the officer came up and knocked on my window, I let my window down, cooperated, gave them my ID. Then I immediately let up my window, and then after that, I let it back up, and then he came back to the window and was like, 'Let your window down now, let your window down' and then I let it down," Hill said.
"I'm not trying to cause a scene because ... if I let my window down, people walking by, driving by, they're going to notice that it's me, and they're going to start taking pictures. I didn't want to create a scene at all, I just really wanted to get the ticket and then just go outabout my way and have a great Sunday."
The 30-year-old was asked about an earlier quote of his about how the situation could've unfolded differently if he wasn't Tyreek Hill.
"The reality of it is, it's the truth. If I wasn't Tyreek Hill, worst-case scenario, we would've had a different article. Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium, that's worst-case scenario," Hill said. "It's crazy that me and my family had to go through this."
"In regards to the incident with Tyreek Hill, I've initiated an internal investigation to thoroughly scrutinize the situation. One of the officers involved has been temporarily assigned away from active duties until the investigation concludes," Daniels declared in a statement.
"I value transparency and accountability within our community, and I am dedicated to upholding these principles when it comes to my officers."
Hill's representative, Drew Rosenhaus, described the situation as "heartbreaking, disturbing, and unwarranted." Rosenhaus expressed shock at the turn of events, stating, "Tyreek was merely trying to go about his business, prepare for the game, and do his job. The police's actions towards him were inexcusable - detaining him, forcing him to the ground, and using unnecessary force against him. It's just devastating."
In a separate discussion with ESPN, Rosenhaus claimed Hill had sustained no physical injuries but was emotionally distraught after the ordeal. He further added, "Tyreek regularly expresses his respect for the police. He even expressed his aspiration to become a police officer someday. Yet, this incident left him in disbelief."
Another Dolphins player detained
An additional Dolphins player, Calais Campbell, was also handcuffed after intervening to resolve the situation with the officers.
Speaking to ESPN, Campbell, a veteran NFL player with 17 years of experience, shared his experience of arriving at the scene, attempting to de-escalate the situation, and ultimately being detained by the police.
The defensive tackle got out of his car with his hands raised, approached the officers, and explained his friendly relationship with Hill. He went on to express his belief that the situation could have been avoided. The officer, however, instructed Campbell to leave, threatening to tow his car if he didn't comply.
"I informed the officer I would move wherever he wished me to, yet I was not leaving the scene. This was my friend we were talking about, and I intended to stand by him during this difficult time," Campbell relayed.
When Campbell refused to leave, the officer alleged he was under arrest and cuffed him.
Campbell mentioned that tight end Jonnu Smith was also present at the scene, as Hill pleaded with both of his teammates not to abandon him.
The six-time Pro Bowler expressed gratitude to his teammates for their support during the incident. "These situations can escalate rapidly. We've witnessed such escalations result in horrifying outcomes in America. Our presence at the scene may have prevented a potential disaster," Campbell commented.
Police union defends officers
The police union representing the offending officers defended their actions.
"Upon encountering Hill, he did not cooperate with the officers, which, in accordance with policy, necessitated placing him in handcuffs to ensure their safety," Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, stated in a release to CNN.
"Hill continued to be non-compliant, refusing to sit down, leading him to be redirected to the ground. Once the situation was resolved within a few minutes, Hill was issued traffic citations and released.
"We will await the results of the investigation, but at this point, we support the actions of our officers, stressing the need for open communication and collaboration moving forward," Stahl concluded.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava commended the swift steps taken by the police department to investigate the situation following the incident.
"In recent years, our nation has grappled with important debates on police conduct, and the internal review process will provide clarity on why the officers' actions, as seen in the video footage, were taken," Levine Cava remarked on her Instagram.
"We shall maintain open communication about this process and release the findings to ensure the public's trust in the Miami-Dade Police Department remains intact. I eagerly anticipate learning more from the internal review and will provide updates as the process concludes."
The Dolphins will return to action at their home stadium, Hard Rock Stadium, on Thursday, when they take on their AFC East rivals, the Buffalo Bills.
Despite the traffic violation leading to his pregame detainment, Hill managed to deliver a standout performance on the football field, scoring an impressive 80-yard touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Following his detainment, Hill expressed confusion over the situation, stating that he was following the rules and cooperating with law enforcement but felt they didn't appreciate his efforts to avoid creating a scene.
