The union representing Miami-Dade police officers has released a statement defending the actions of officers who detained Tyreek Hill before the Miami Dolphins game on Sunday. The statement explains that the star wide receiver was “uncooperative” and had to be “redirected” to the ground after refusing to comply with orders.
Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, clarified the situation in a statement on Monday, emphasizing that Hill was never under arrest but was briefly detained “for officer safety.” Hill was reportedly stopped for driving in a manner that “put himself and others in great danger.”
“Upon being stopped, Mr. Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on scene who, pursuant to policy and for their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs. Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground,” Stahl explained. The situation was resolved within minutes, and Hill was issued two traffic citations for careless driving and a seat belt violation before being released.
Calais Campbell, Hill’s teammate, was also detained when he arrived at the scene to support Hill, though he did not receive any citations, according to sources from ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
The Miami-Dade Police Department, meanwhile, has launched an “immediate review” of the incident. Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie V. Daniels confirmed that one officer involved had been placed on administrative duties pending the investigation.
Stahl defended the officers, stating, “While we wait for the investigation to run its course, based on what we know, we stand with the actions of our officers but look forward to further open communication moving forward.”
Following the Dolphins’ 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, in which Hill had a standout performance with 130 yards and an 80-yard touchdown, Hill spoke to the media about the incident. He expressed confusion about why the situation escalated, saying he “had no idea” why he was placed in handcuffs and insisted he was not disrespectful toward the officers.
“I still don’t know what happened,” Hill said after the game. “But I do want to use this platform to say, ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ Worst-case scenario, you know? … Everybody has bad apples in every situation, but I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on my end and Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.”
Hill reflected on the potential role of race in the encounter, suggesting things could have turned out differently if he were not a high-profile NFL player.
