Tyreek Hill and Cops
In a police encounter that “went from 0 to 60,” Tyreek Hill, a great player for the Dolphins, expressed his belief that if he weren’t a well-known football player, authorities might have shot him or taken him into custody.
The wide receiver was detained by Miami-Dade police on his way to the Dolphins vs. Jacksonville Jaguars game on Sunday, right outside Hard Rock Stadium. He was handcuffed and placed face down on the asphalt.
“If I wasn’t Tyreek Hill, Lord knows, I probably would have been, like, worst-case scenario, I would have been shot or would have been locked up” and “put behind bars, you know, for a simple speeding ticket,” Hill told NBC News.
“And that’s crazy that officers would take it, you know, to that level.”
Tyreek Hill arrest video
At least one officer has been removed from the streets following the altercation, which was documented on camera and extensively circulated on social media. The Miami-Dade Police Department has opened an internal affairs inquiry.
Hill maintains that he cooperated with the police by revealing his identity and rolling down his window. He claimed that since he was under the shelter of Hard Rock Stadium, he had no need to run or feel apprehensive.
Hill claimed, “It just went from 0 to 60, man, from the moment that those guys pulled up behind me, knocked on my window, it went from 0 to 60 immediately,” and he made a team security official call from the car.Hill was cited for reckless driving and driving without a license, according to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
Hill, 30, thanked teammates, tight end Jonnu Smith and defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who were driving by, saw him being detained, and stopped to help. Campbell, 38, is a highly respected player who has won the Walter Payton Man of the Year award before.
Tyreek Hill traffic stop Incident
A representative for the police union said that Hill was at fault for not being “immediately” cooperative with officers. The police department declined to comment on the union’s account, stating that officers must wait until the internal affairs investigation is finished before discussing the incident in public.”I wasn’t alone anymore when I saw Jonnu and Calais pull up,” Hill said.
“They ended up handcuffing Calais for just being 6-8 I think. But it was crazy. It was crazy how that same officer who took me down handcuffed Calais for just standing on the side.” In the end, though, Hill expressed relief that no one was hurt or worse. “That officer was really on a power trip,” he claimed. “He felt like he just needed to… do something that day, you know. But like I said, I’m glad nobody was hurt.” Hill is one of the most well-known playmakers in professional football.
With 77 career touchdown catches, he is tied for fifth place all-time with retired players Harold Carmichael and Charley Taylor (tied with 79), and No. 35 DeAndre Hopkins (78). Both Taylor and Carmichael have inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Hill’s performance on the field in Sunday’s season opener, which Miami won 20–17, didn’t seem to be impacted by the incident; he caught seven passes for 130 yards and a touchdown.
Late in the third quarter, with the Jags leading 17–7, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa found Hill on a slant at the Dolphins’ 46-yard line on a first-and-10 play from the Miami 20.
Hill then made the explosive 80-yard touchdown run that started the Miami comeback, racing past two Jaguars defenders in the process.
Faking to be handcuffed, Hill put his hands behind his back while teammate Jaylen Waddle approached to lead the way as if he were the arresting officer.
“You got to learn how to laugh and have a good time,” he remarked. “Dude, no matter how much people may believe you’re going through a difficult time or a low point, I always look for the positive aspects of every circumstance. That’s one of the reasons I’m able to maintain my great moral character as a young Black man.”
In addition, he expressed gratitude that Keeta, his expectant wife, wasn’t in the vehicle.
She would have gone along for the ride in any other situation. But on Sunday, they said, she was running late and made the independent decision to go to the stadium.
“I’m so relieved she wasn’t [there], because if they would have tried to pull my wife out the car, Lord knows what would [have] happened,” Hill said. “I’m glad she wasn’t in the car.”