MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill admitted on Wednesday that he could have reacted better during a weekend traffic stop that resulted in police handcuffing him and pulling him out of his car near the team’s stadium.
Hill also expressed a desire to see one of the police officers involved in the incident fired from the force.
He reflected on his actions from Sunday morning and acknowledged that he should have followed instructions to lower his car window when asked by the officers, instead of rolling it up, which led to the situation escalating.
“I could have handled it better,” Hill stated. “I could’ve rolled down my window right away. I tend to avoid drawing attention to myself and don’t want phones and cameras on me in those moments. But I am human, and I know I have to comply with what others would do in that situation.”
“However, that doesn’t give them the right to treat me the way they did,” he added. “I really regret not handling it differently.”
Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels announced an internal investigation on Sunday afternoon, leading to one officer, Danny Torres, being reassigned to administrative duties. Torres’s attorney has indicated that he wants to be reinstated immediately. Meanwhile, the Dolphins organization has called for decisive action against all officers involved.
Hill did not hold back when discussing what he believes should happen to the officer involved.
“He needs to go. He has to go,” Hill insisted. “In that moment, he not only disrespected me, but also my teammates, using inappropriate language towards them when they hadn’t done anything at all.”
Hill’s confrontation with law enforcement occurred less than three hours before Miami’s Week 1 game. Police removed him from his car and placed him on the ground in handcuffs, and teammate Calais Campbell, who tried to intervene, was also handcuffed.
Hill received citations for careless driving and for not wearing a seatbelt.
The Dolphins are set to face the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, and Hill mentioned he would use the game as a way to distract himself from the incident. He stated he wouldn’t take a knee—an act some players have used to protest police brutality—nor call for police defunding. Hill has repeatedly expressed respect for police officers and plans to pursue a career in law enforcement after football.
Body camera footage released by the Miami-Dade Police Department on Monday showed that things escalated quickly after Hill raised the window of his car. Initially, he rolled down his driver’s side window to hand the officer his license but then repeatedly asked the officer to stop knocking on the window before closing it again.
The video shows an officer forcibly pulling Hill from the car by his arm, taking him down to the ground, and putting a knee on his back. Throughout the encounter, Hill could be heard screaming that he had just undergone knee surgery.
Hill explained that he received a minor stem cell procedure on his knee during the offseason in Antigua, which Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel noted Hill takes care of diligently.
After watching the released footage at a movie theater on Monday night, Hill expressed hope that the video will serve as a learning tool for both the public and police officers, similar to how players improve by reviewing game films.
“It’s shocking,” Hill said. “It’s hard to believe there are officers out there who would behave like this, especially with body cameras on. It’s troubling, and one has to wonder what might happen without them.”
Lloyd Howell Jr., the executive director of the NFL Players Association, stated the organization has reached out to Hill and Campbell to provide necessary support, without specifying further details.
“Moving forward, communication is key,” Howell emphasized. “No matter what challenges you face, take care of yourself and your family, and hopefully that reflects positively on the field.”
NBA player Bam Adebayo weighed in, saying he believes Hill should have complied with the officers’ requests during the traffic stop. He found it difficult to watch how the situation unfolded, including the excessive force used afterwards.
“What really struck me was how they yanked him out of the car and pushed him to the ground,” Adebayo commented. “In situations like this, it’s a reminder that police don’t show favoritism. It could have turned out much worse for Hill, as we’ve seen happen many times before.”
This incident has reignited discussions about the experiences of Black individuals with law enforcement, a topic that has gained significant attention across the country. While Hill has faced issues off the field in the past, his teammates have defended him against those using his history to justify police actions during this incident. Coach Mike McDaniel acknowledged that Hill has been growing as a person and that he has spoken with him about the importance of handling such situations wisely.
“Discussing what provoked this situation may be important,” McDaniel stated, “but it is trivial compared to the unnecessary force that was used.”
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AP Sports Writer Will Graves contributed from Pittsburgh.
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