Attorneys Call for Reinstatement of Miami-Dade Officer Involved in Tyreek Hill Detainment, Criticize Department’s Actions [Video]

Attorneys representing a Miami-Dade police officer involved in the recent detainment of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill are calling for their client’s immediate reinstatement, criticizing the department’s decision to place the officer on “administrative duties” as “premature.” The officer was reassigned on Sunday while the Miami-Dade Police Department launched an internal investigation into his actions during a controversial traffic stop.

In a news release on Tuesday, attorneys Ignacio Alvarez and Israel Reyes argued that their client’s reassignment was unjustified and demanded that he be allowed to return to his usual duties. “We call for our client’s immediate reinstatement, and a complete, thorough, and objective investigation, as Director Daniels has also advocated,” they stated. The attorneys emphasized that the officer would not comment on the situation until the investigation is completed and all facts are disclosed. The news release did not reveal the name of the officer under investigation, and a spokesperson for ALGO, one of the law firms representing him, declined to provide additional information or reasons for keeping the officer’s identity confidential.

The Miami-Dade Police Department has not yet responded to questions about the officer or his attorneys’ request for reinstatement. The department’s director, Stephanie Daniels, initiated the investigation through the department’s internal affairs office, stating her commitment to “transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.”

The officer in question was involved in an incident on Sunday outside Hard Rock Stadium, shortly before the Dolphins’ season-opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Body-worn camera footage released by the Miami-Dade police shows officers forcefully pulling Hill out of his McLaren after he rolled up his window during a traffic stop. The video shows officers removing Hill from the car, taking him to the ground, and handcuffing him for over 15 minutes while he repeatedly complained about knee pain.

Hill later admitted to officers that he had been speeding but criticized their handling of the situation, stating they escalated it by forcibly removing him from his car and placing him in handcuffs. After being cited for careless driving and driving without a seatbelt, Hill was released from the scene. During a post-game press conference, following his 130-yard receiving performance in Miami’s win over the Jaguars, Hill voiced his frustration, saying, “They said I was speeding, reckless driving or whatever. I wasn’t raised like that to name drop. If you said I did something, write me a ticket and do whatever you have to do. But don’t be disrespectful.”