Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was detained by police near Hard Rock Stadium over an alleged traffic violation minutes before Sunday’s season-opener against the Jaguars.
During the game, Hill had some fun referencing the detainment when, after an 80-yard touchdown reception, he put his hands behind his back and teammate Jaylen Waddle pantomimed putting cuffs on him.
After the game, Hill was more serious about his detainment that was captured by passersby.
“I want to be able to use this platform to say, ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’” Hill told reporters after the game. “I’ve got a lot of respect for cops, man, but, obviously, everybody has bad apples… I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on both ends.”
One route could be litigation, something Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus confirmed to Front Office Sports as a possibility. Rosenhaus also said Hill has been contacted by the Miami-Dade Police Department’s internal affairs division, outreach that was first reported by ProFootballTalk.
Earlier Sunday, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement that the agency had launched an internal affairs probe and the officer had been put on administrative duties.
“That should tell you all you need to know,” Hill said when informed by a reporter that the officer had been sidelined.
In a previous statement, Daniels said the probe would include a review of the officers’ bodycam footage.
“I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers,” Daniels said.
Hill said he had “no idea” what led the stop to escalate into him ending up on the pavement as handcuffs were applied.
“I wasn’t disrespecting,” Hill said. “I didn’t cuss. Didn’t do none of that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out.”
Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell said he was also handcuffed and cited for not obeying a lawful order from a police officer after he tried to intervene, according to ESPN.
