A police officer dragged Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of his sports car by his arm and head and then forced him face first onto the ground after Hill put up the window of his sports car during a traffic stop before Sunday’s game, body camera video released Monday shows.
The video showed that the altercation between the Miami-Dade County officers and Hill escalated quickly, that the officers cursed at Hill but he did not resist their physical force or strike at them. Six officers’ body camera videos have been released.
Police Director Stephanie Davis said the tape would normally not be released while the investigation is ongoing, but she wanted to demonstrate the department’s “commitment to transparency and maintaining public trust.”
The Dolphins released a statement on the incident, expressing sadness over the conduct shown to Hill and his teammates Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith, and urging “strong action against the officers” involved.
“We are saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct directed towards Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith by police officers before yesterday’s game,” the statement read. “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. ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will carry with resounding impact.
“We are proud to have a strong and positive relationship with the Miami-Dade Police Department and other law enforcement agencies and recognize that the vast majority of officers do serve the community with the utmost character and desire to protect all citizens. However, as is on full display in the videos released tonight, there are some officers who mistake their responsibility and commitment to serve with misguided power. While we commend MDPD for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release this footage, we also urge them to take equally swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.
“We will stand beside Tyreek and our players as they work to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community. We have always believed that the game of football holds a unique power to bring people together, and we remain hopeful that through the collective work of the players, organization and our community partners, we can create lasting change.”
One video showed the motorcycle officer who had pulled Hill over on the roadway leading into Hard Rock Stadium. He had apparently already struck or tapped on the window of Hill’s McClaren sports car.
The officer looked inside and demanded to know why Hill didn’t have his seatbelt on. Hill, through the open window, said to the officer, “Don’t do my window like that.”
“Why do you have it up?” the officer replied.
“Do what you gotta do” Hill said and put the darkly tinted window back up.
“Keep your window down,” the officer told him, tapping on the glass. The officer paused for about five seconds and looked around. He told Hill again to keep the window down or “I am going to get you out of the car. As a matter of fact, get out of the car.”
The officer then demanded Hill open the door. Another officers stepped up and said, “Get out of the car or I will break that … window,” using an obscenity.
The door opened and the second officer reached in and grabbed Hill by the arm and the back of the head as the player said, “I am getting out.”
The second officer forced Hill face first onto the ground. The officers forced Hill’s arms behind his back as Hill yelled into his cellphone, “I am getting arrested Drew.” It was unclear if he was talking to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, or the team’s director of security, Drew Brooks. Both soon showed up at the scene.
The officers handcuff Hill and one put a knee in the middle of his back. “If we tell you to do something, do it.”
“Take me to jail, brother, do what you gotta do,” Hill replied.
“We are,” the officer who pulled him out said.
“You crazy,” Hill said to the officer.
The officers then pull him to his feet as Hill said, “Why you beating on my window like you are all crazy for?”
The officers stand Hill up and walk him to the sidewalk. One officer told him to sit on the curb. Hill said to the officer he just had surgery on his knee.
The officer who pulled Hill from the car jumped behind him and put a bar hold around Hill’s upper chest or neck. He pulled Hill into a seating position.
“Chill, bro,” Hill told the officers.
At that point, Campbell parked his SUV in front of Hill’s car, got out and asked what was going on. The officers ordered Campbell to get back in his vehicle and leave. They then told him they were going to give him a ticket for blocking the road. He, too, was soon in handcuffs. He was never cited.
Hill and Campbell were eventually released and allowed to go into the stadium.
Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, defended the officer’s actions, saying Monday that Hill “was briefly detained for officer safety, after driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great risk of danger.
“Upon being stopped, Mr. Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on the scene who, pursuant to policy and for their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs. Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground.”
“Mr. Hill understands the inherently dangerous job that law enforcement is tasked with and understands that officer safety is important;” read Collins’ statement, “however, at no point in time did Mr. Hill pose a threat to these officers.”
Campbell said he tried to de-escalate the situation. He said he got out of his car with his hands up above his head and approached the scene, informing officers that he was a friend of Hill’s. He remained at the scene to “support” Hill. Police later placed him in handcuffs for “disobeying a direct order” by being too close.
“They were trying to yank him down to the ground,” Campbell said Monday on ESPN. “I saw them kick him and pull him down … I feel like one officer was pushing on his head.”
Campbell said Smith and later receiver Odell Beckham were also there to support Hill, who repeated to them, “Don’t leave me.”
Hill, 30, who is Black, said he wondered what would have happened to him if he weren’t an NFL star. Some of his teammates who are also Black said they were used to seeing that sort of interaction.
“Excessive force on a Black man, that’s not uncommon,” said safety Jevon Holland. “It’s a very common thing in America. So I think that needs to be addressed at a countrywide level.”
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday he was upset by the situation. McDaniel appeared to fight back tears as he reflected on the incident.
“It’s probably more visceral because, yes, I do spend a lot of time prioritizing empathy, and when you know you can’t truly understand, the unknown is what crushes me,” McDaniel said. “I can only forecast, and so my forecast — what if it’s worse?”
Hill received two citations but was never arrested. One officer was placed on administrative leave.
Copyright The Associated Press 2024
