Sept. 9—The South Florida Police Benevolent Association said in a statement released Monday that Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill was “uncooperative” with police and “caused” the incident that led to him being handcuffed and thrown to the ground before Sunday’s game.
Hill received two traffic tickets when he was stopped by police outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
SFPBA President Steadman Stahl said in a statement: “First of all, it must be clear that he was never arrested. He was detained briefly for the safety of police officers because he was in great danger.”
The statement also said, “After Mr. Hill was restrained, he did not immediately cooperate with officers on scene, who, in accordance with policy and for his immediate safety, placed handcuffs on Mr. Hill; he refused to get on the ground, so he was pulled to the ground.”
According to the SFPBA, the 30-year-old Hill was released “a few minutes later.” He had seven catches for 130 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown, in the Dolphins’ 20-17 season-opening win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
After the game, Hill said he “had no idea” why he was handcuffed for the moving vehicle violation.
“It’s not abuse because my mother didn’t raise me that way. It’s not abuse,” he said, adding, “It’s still being figured out.”
After Hill’s 80-yard touchdown, Dolphins wide receiver Jaylen Waddle grabbed Hill’s wrist from behind and pretended to handcuff him to help him celebrate.
The SFPBA said it would wait until the investigation was complete but stood by the actions of its officers.
The Star’s statement concluded, “While we are confident in the actions taken to restrain Mr. Hill, as with any investigation, we will await all of the facts to come out and Mr. Hill’s response to this unfortunate incident.”
Special Agent Drew Rosenhaus expressed concern over the way his client handled the incident but did not file any specific charges.
“It’s amazing to me that it got so bad that he had to be handcuffed and police had to put him on the ground,” Rosenhaus told ESPN. “We’ll look into it. Tyreek will be investigated, but I won’t be laying charges at this time.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department released a statement on social media on Sunday.
“We are aware that Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill was recently detained by officers of the Miami-Dade Police Department,” said Miami-Dade Police Chief Stephanie V. Daniels. “I have requested an immediate review of all details related to this incident and we are also reviewing available body camera footage. We will provide an update when more information becomes available.”
Rosenhaus said he arrived after “the situation had calmed down” and that others, including Dolphins security director Drew Brooks, joined him, “and they did a great job.”
Hill was originally drafted in the fifth round by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2016 and is now in his third season with the Dolphins. He led the NFL with 1,799 yards on 119 receptions last season and tied for the league lead with 13 receiving touchdowns in 16 starts. It was the five-time first-team All-Pro selection’s sixth 1,000-yard season.
——Visual-level media
