The police officer who detained Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill hours before the team’s season opener has been placed on administrative leave.
“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation to ensure a thorough review of the matter,” Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a Sunday, September 8 statement. “One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted.”
The statement continued, “I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.”
Hill, 30, was detained, put in handcuffs and forced to the pavement while traveling to the Dolphins’ game at Miami Gardens’ Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday morning.
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“This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a traffic incident about one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police,” the team said in a statement. “He has since been released. Several teammates saw the incident and stopped to offer support.”
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell revealed he was also detained by police during the incident.
“They put handcuffs on me, too,” Campbell, 38, said to reporters after the Dolphins’ 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. “I was like, ‘What is going on?’ I didn’t understand what the issue was. For him to put handcuffs on me, I felt some kind of way.”
Campbell continued, “I saw Tyreek getting apprehended. I just wanted to make sure everything was OK, trying to deescalate the situation. The officer felt a certain kind of way, put handcuffs on me, and I just talked to myself, ‘Don’t let this get you down.’”
In a statement to Us Weekly, Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said law enforcement’s treatment of the star wide receiver was “completely unacceptable.”
“Tyreek did not deserve to be treated that way by the police involved,” Rosenhaus continued. “Tyreek’s legal team will be pursuing this matter on Tyreek’s behalf and I’m sure they will consider taking legal action.”
The treatment of Hill also drew outrage from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, saying the story “ain’t going away dammit.”
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“Traffic violation? Fine. But WTH was he face down in cuffs, stood up, then the other officer runs over behind him and forces him to the ground again???” Smith, 56, wrote via X on Sunday. “Hell No! Excessive! Wrong! Again, this ain’t going away.”
Smith compared Hill’s treatment to the way professional golfer Scottie Scheffler was treated by authorities when he was arrested for a traffic incident before the PGA Championship in May.
“I also know we don’t know all the details, blah….blah…..blah! But he wasn’t faced down on the ground in cuffs?” Smith wrote in a separate post. “Then forcibly sat down again by officers a second time. Nah! This story isn’t going away — and it doesn’t need to.”
After being released, Hill made it to the stadium in time for kickoff where he finished with 130 receiving yards and a touchdown — and even mimicked his arrest during his celebration.
