Tyreek Hill’s detainment before a Week 1 home game between the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars sparked controversy. It also led to calls for accountability from the Miami-Dade Police Department and heartbreak in the Dolphins' locker room. Now the officers involved can expect a bit more ridicule after Hill revealed an embarrassing detail not captured on the body cam footage.
Thursday Night Football's Taylor Rooks interviewed Hill before the Dolphins faced the Buffalo Bills. Hill was emotional and forthcoming, leading into one piece of evidence sure to get attention.
“It's crazy now just thinking about it. Antagonizing me. There was a lot of that going on,” Hill shared. “When I was handcuffed the officer was pinching me! It was behind my neck like it was trying to get me to do something to him, which is crazy. Next level crazy.”
Hill said he watched the video once.
Hill walked Rooks through the incident and what could have been done better to avoid getting pinched, just not quite like Al Capone and other mob legends meant the term. Hill was not arrested after all.
“So I gave my ID. The next step I guess is to let your window all the way down but there is no law for that. I guess in that moment the officer is thinking about his safety,” Hill said. “I'm thinking about how I don't want pictures taken of me getting pulled over before a game…I tried to meet in the middle.”
Hill also talked about the ongoing processing of the event, what could have been done differently, and where to go from here.
“Nah, I really haven't (fully processed the altercation),” Hill admitted. “It's tough. It's hard you know. Going through something like that is traumatic man. It's embarrassing for my family, my kids. It had my wife worried. So yeah, I'm still trying to put it all together.”
Dolphins' Tyreek Hill hoping for positive changes
The feeling of embarrassment is a factor that will lead to some social change messaging on Hill's platform.
“I just feel like I'm not representing the name on the back of my jersey the right way,” continued Hill. “The flip side of it is that this is great. I get to at least try to bring awareness to what this entire country is trying to fix. You got pros and cons to every situation. It's all about what you do with it…It's all about accountability on both sides…We gotta talk to the top…We gonna have some very uncomfortable conversations.”
After rolling up the window, Hill was pulled out of his car and then placed in handcuffs. The officers then forced the Dolphins' wide receiver to the ground before eventually being released. Miami-Dade officers settled on a “visual estimation” speeding ticket and a seatbelt violation. It did not take long for Hill to double down on calls for at least one officer to be fired.
Where the case goes from here depends largely on how the department handles the internal investigation. One officer, Danny Torres, has already been placed on administrative leave but is appealing to return to light duty. Processing Hill's ticket is an altogether different issue for the city's leaders.
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