Tyreek Hill, a wide receiver for the Miami Dolphins, is calling for the dismissal of one of the police officers involved in his recent detainment on Sunday. In a statement disclosed by his legal representative, Julius Collins, Hill expressed his demand for the swift firing of the officer previously put on administrative leave.
He stated that every action taken by a police officer should be in line with standard operating procedures. The officer’s use of force, in Hill’s view, breached these protocols, describing it as unnecessary, escalating and reckless. Crucially, he stipulated that the officer should be relieved of his duties immediately.
The officer under scrutiny, Danny Torres, was identified earlier on Tuesday by the Miami-Dade police department. Being in his 27th year of service, Torres is presently assigned to administrative tasks while an internal inquiry is underway. Updates on the inquiry’s findings will be released upon completion.
Lawyers representing Officer Torres have released a statement to the contrary, seeking the immediate restoration of their client’s active duty. They have voiced their support for a review of the incident, a suggestion initially proposed by the Miami-Dade police department director, Stephanie Daniels. Torres has decided to keep silent until the internal review is finalised.
Hill was ticketed for careless driving and operating a vehicle without a valid license after having been stopped near Hard Rock Stadium before Sunday’s game. The wide receiver played a significant role in securing a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, scoring a crucial touchdown.
Footage from the body cam, disclosed on Monday evening, suggested rapid escalation during Hill’s traffic stop shortly before the start of Miami’s season-opening match. It depicted Hill offering his license through the rolled-down driver’s window to an officer who had been tapping on the glass. Hill then implored the officer to stop knocking and rolled up the window, which is shaded heavily. Following a brief argument about the window, a police officer is seen yanking Hill out of his vehicle by his arm and head before pressing him onto the ground face-first. Hill was subsequently handcuffed and one officer placed a knee on his back.
Members of the Dolphins football team have expressed how deeply they were impacted by a recent incident. Mike McDaniel, the Dolphins’ coach, opened up on Monday, prior to the emergence of the related footage, about how it troubled him each time he reflected on it. The crux of his frustration, he admitted candidly, was the unsettling realisation of his inability to empathise fully, despite being of mixed race.
McDaniel’s personal life has made him sensitised to racial issues, yet he has not encountered circumstances akin to what Hill experienced. The image of Hill’s colleague, Calais Campbell, being handcuffed left numerous Miami players perplexed. Campbell, a highly esteemed defensive tackle who has recently embarked on his 17th NFL season, was momentarily put into handcuffs when he tried to assist Hill, who himself was in handcuffs. Both Campbell and Hill were ultimately freed and granted admission into the stadium.
The incident found resonance with McDaniel, who related to Campbell’s scenario using his own perspective. He further elucidated it by imagined himself in Campbell’s shoes, which he described as challenging. Anthony Weaver, the Dolphins’ defensive coordinator who is black, also shared that the video footage was a harsh reminder of his reality. Weaver expressed remorse about the circumstances, given he is a father to two boys, whose mother is of Mexican-American descent. He admitted feeling slightly relieved each time his children were born with lighter skin tones, hoping they would be spared from the racial issues he had encountered in his lifetime.
Hill, the involved player, has consistently been distinguished as an elite receiver in the NFL, earning Pro Bowl recognitions every season since his 2016 entry into the league. He stood out in the last season with a record high of 1,799 yards in receiving. He bagged the Super Bowl with his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, in February 2020. Hill was transferred to the Dolphins in March 2022, and subsequently secured a four-year extension on his contract worth $120 million, thereby becoming the highest-earning wide receiver in the NFL.
The encounter between Hill and the Miami-Dade police on Sunday wasn’t an isolated incident. Hill faced scrutiny from the same department in the prior off-season, following allegations of assault and battery after engaging in a heated dispute with an employee at a marina. This confrontation was reported to have concluded with Hill physically assaulting the worker. The matter, however, was settled amicably between Hill and the individual later on, as reported by the Guardian.