Tyreek Hill was detained by native police simply hours earlier than the Miami Dolphins confronted the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. Stories slowly trickled out about Hill being put in handcuffs, with teammate Calais Campbell — who was additionally detained when he confirmed as much as the scene — alleging police used extreme pressure towards Hill.
On Monday night, Miami-Dade Police launched the bodycam footage of Hill’s arrest, and the video is terrifying. It exhibits police pulling Hill out of his automobile, throwing him to the bottom, kneeling on him, and struggling to place him in handcuffs. Officers escalated the scenario when Hill refused to roll his window down to speak to police, and pleaded with them to simply give him a ticket for rushing or not sporting his seatbelt so he may make the sport on time.
The Miami Dolphins have issued a robust assertion admonishing native police for “overly aggressive and violent conduct directed in direction of Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell, and Jonnu Smith.”
Watch the bodycam footage of Hill’s arrest right here:
Right here’s extra footage from a second officer’s bodycam:
The Dolphins beat the Jaguars in Week 1, with Hill taking part in a starring function within the sport. He caught an 80-yard landing go and celebrated by having a teammate fake to place him in handcuffs. By the point the sport ended, one of many officers concerned within the arrest had already been placed on administrative depart.
The Dolphins issued one of many strongest statements about improper policing we’ve ever seen from a professional sports activities staff. “It’s each maddening and heartbreaking to look at the very individuals we belief to guard our neighborhood use such pointless pressure and hostility in direction of these gamers, but additionally it is a reminder that not each scenario like this ends in peace,” the staff wrote. Learn the complete assertion right here:
The Dolphins launched this assertion in response to the physique cam footage of Tyreek Hill and Calais Campbell’s detainment
The staff urges Miami-Dade PD to take “swift and powerful motion towards the officers who engaged in such despicable conduct” pic.twitter.com/wzQOrjhWSH
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 10, 2024
“We’re saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct directed in direction of Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith by cops earlier than yesterday’s sport. It’s each maddening and heartbreaking to look at the very individuals we belief to guard our neighborhood use such pointless pressure and hostility in direction of these gamers, but additionally it is a reminder that not each scenario like this ends in peace, as we’re grateful this one did. ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a query that can carry with resounding affect.
We’re proud to have a robust and optimistic relationship with the Miami-Dade Police Division and different regulation enforcement businesses and acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of officers do serve the neighborhood with the utmost character and need to guard all residents. Nevertheless, as is on full show within the movies launched tonight, there are some officers who mistake their duty and dedication to serve with misguided energy. Whereas we commend MDPD for taking the proper and crucial motion to rapidly launch this footage, we additionally urge them to take equally swift and powerful motion towards the officers who engaged in such despicable conduct.
We’ll stand beside Tyreek and our gamers as they work to make use of their platform and this example to make a optimistic affect in our neighborhood. We’ve got at all times believed that the sport of soccer holds a novel energy to convey individuals collectively, and we stay hopeful that by the collective work of the gamers, group and our neighborhood companions, we are able to create lasting change.”
The police didn’t have to throw Hill from his automobile and kneel on his again to “hold the neighborhood protected.” Officers ought to have been capable of give Hill a ticket with out utilizing this a lot pressure. As a substitute, this was one other instance of an officer abusing his energy as a result of he felt personally insulted {that a} civilian didn’t take heed to him. We’ve seen many examples of comparable conditions escalating to extra critical, even lethal, penalties within the current previous. Hill is aware of he was fortunate to get away largely unscathed. What if he wasn’t Tyreek Hill?
Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel supplied a strong response to Hill’s arrest earlier within the day. With the bodycam footage now public, this story isn’t going to go away.