Tyreek Hill, the Miami Dolphins’ star wide receiver who was detained by police in front of his team’s stadium before their season opener on Sunday, spoke out after watching new body-worn camera footage of his tense confrontation released by authorities Monday evening.
The Miami-Dade Police Department usually only releases bodycam footage after an internal review, but decided to release the cumulative 105 minutes and 33 seconds of footage from six different officers to “reinforce the Department’s commitment to keeping the public informed,” Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement on Monday.
Speaking to CNN’s Kaitlan Collins on Monday night, Hill said he was “still shellshocked” and “embarrassed” watching the videos back. The Dolphins’ wide receiver said that if he wasn’t a recognizable NFL player, the headline would have looked a lot different—and gave his worst-case scenario example as: “Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium.”
Hill’s lawyer, Julius Collins, told the anchor that his client was trying to comply with the officers’ quick demands, and at the same time trying to contact his team’s director of security, Drew Brooks.
Earlier on Monday, the president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association issued a statement in support of the officers’ actions, claiming Hill was “not immediately cooperative” and only forced to the ground after refusing to sit.
“I think the video contradicts everything that they‘re saying,” Hill’s attorney told CNN. “Even down to the notion that he refused to sit down, he actually told the guy, ‘Hold on, I‘m going to sit.’”
Hill again called for changes after his harrowing ordeal, echoing comments he made following Sunday’s 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Shortly before his appearance on the news network, Hill tweeted: “Let’s make a change.” He addressed the sentiment during his interview, saying, “I’m not a big believer in dividing people, you know, I don’t believe in all that.
“I believe in bringing people together because that’s my purpose in life,” Hill said. “So when I say, let’s make a change, let’s do it together.”
The videos released on Monday show multiple officers on motorcycles pull Hill over after he sped past them in his McLaren sports car. But things quickly went south after the annoyed football star complained about an officer knocking on his window.
Hill followed instructions from the officers and handed over his driver’s license, but then rolled his window back up. “Keep your window down or I’m going to get you out of the car,” one officer yelled at Hill. Seconds later, the officer said “as a matter of fact, get out of the car.”
After the officer repeats the command a few more times, another officer opens Hill’s door and forcibly pulls him out from the driver’s seat, at one point appearing to grab the Miami Dolphin by the hair.
As the officers kneeled on Hill’s back and placed handcuffs on him, Hill placed his phone on the pavement. “Hey Drew, I’m getting arrested!” he yelled to the person on the other end of the line.
That person was likely Drew Brooks, the team’s director of security, based on Collins’ comments on CNN. Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, told NBC Sports he arrived at the scene after Hill was placed in handcuffs.
“When we tell you to do something, you do it. Do you understand?” one officer yells at the wide receiver. “You’re a little fucking confused!”
“I just had surgery on my knee! I just had surgery on my knee!” Hill yells as they force him to the ground for the second time.
“Really, what a coincidence!” an officer aggressively yells back at him. “Did you have surgery on your ears when we told you to put the window down?”
The cops were then seen yelling at onlookers to back up and avoid parking near the unfolding scene. It also shows the moment they scream at Hill’s teammates, defensive lineman Calais Campbell and tight end Jonnu Smith, threatening to cuff the fellow Dolphins if they didn’t back up.
Campbell later told a reporter postgame he was also handcuffed by officers at the scene. Some of the footage captures this moment as well, showing an officer place cuffs on him as he was walking back towards his car.
At one point, at least some of the officers realize who they were detaining. “You know who that is, right,” another officer asks. “That’s one of the Dolphins’ star players.”
At least one officer involved in the arrest was placed on administrative duties pending the internal investigation, the police department confirmed on Sunday.
Despite the tense and chaotic scene, Hill was ultimately released with only two traffic tickets. He made it to the game, where he ran for 130 receiving yards and scored one touchdown. Hill immediately spoke out about the detainment at a press conference after the Dolphins’ victory over the Jaguars.
An attorney for Hill later told the Associated Press the football player was exploring legal options, stating that “at no point in time did Mr. Hill pose a threat to these officers.”
The Dolphins also condemned the officers’ conduct in a statement released on Monday night, calling their behavior towards their players “overly aggressive and violent.” They praised the department’s decision to release the bodycam footage, and asked them to take “swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.”
