NFL wide receiver Tyreek Hill was arrested during a traffic stop just hours before his Miami Dolphins hosted their first game of the season. His teammate was also detained during the altercation.
On his way to the stadium, Hill was stopped in his sports car and detained by police on the ground, a video showed. ESPN’s Jeff Darlington said the athlete was cited for reckless driving and got into a verbal altercation with police when he was pulled over.
A video circulated online showing three officers detaining Hill, with the star player laying face down on the pavement in handcuffs.
It would later be reported that Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell was also handcuffed during the traffic stop after allegedly trying to de-escalate the situation.
“They put handcuffs on me too, and I was like ‘What’s going on?’ I didn’t understand what the issue was,” Campbell told the NFL Network, per CNN.
‘I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way.’
Both players were released in time for the Dolphins season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars where Hill shined, leading his team in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. After an 80-yard touchdown by Hill, the Dolphins completed a second-half comeback to win 20-17.
Following the game, Hill spoke at a press conference and expressed confusion over his detainment. When asked why he was pulled over, he told reporters it was for speeding but also that he wasn’t sure why the situation played out the way it did.
“I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way, didn’t cuss, didn’t do none of that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out,” Hill said.
Hill’s agent Drew Rosenhaus said that the wide receiver “got a ticket for a moving violation [while] entering the stadium.”
“How things escalated into the situation that they were in, in handcuffs and being held on the ground with police is mind-boggling to me,” the agent added.
Later in the day, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said one of the officers involved in the incident had 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,” a statement posted to X read. “I’m committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers,” the police director added.
Hill went on to tell reporters that he hoped to be a police officer one day and that he wants to use his platform to team up with the police department in the future to make a positive impact.
The star player also expressed concern about what might have happened if he weren’t a famous athlete, citing that he didn’t “name drop” or let the police know that he was a football player.
“I wasn’t raised like that,” he reiterated. “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Worst case scenario, you know, because it’s crazy. I want to be a cop one day. I got a state trooper hat, all that, you know? So, I got a lot of respect for cops, man. But, obviously everybody has bad apples in every situation.”
The Miami Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Thursday, September 12.
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Fearless, Nfl, Tyreek hill, Miami-dade, Football, Sports
