Disturbing bodycam video shows Tyreek Hill being pinned to ground by cops during arrest hours before Miami Dolphins win
BODYCAM footage showing cops forcing Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill to the ground during his shocking arrest has been released.
More than 105 minutes of video from Hill’s arrest before the Dolphins’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars has been made available.
The video shows Hill being placed in handcuffs as he was driving to the Dolphins’ season opener.
“Take me to jail, brother,” he said. “Do what you have to do.”
Officers could be heard telling Hill to “stop crying” after he was dragged out of his car and forced to lay face down on the ground.
“When we tell you to do something, you do it. You understand?” an officer told him.
“Not what you want, what we tell you. You’re a little f**king confused.”
As Hill was on the ground, an officer put his knee on the wide receiver’s back and grabbed his hands.
“Too late! Too late!” the officer shouted as Hill explained he was getting out of the car.
In another part of the video, an officer tells Hill to have a seat on the curb and while Hill tries to explain that he just had knee surgery, another officer comes behind him and forces him to the floor again.
One of the officers sarcastically responded: “Really? What a coincidence… you could have surgery on your ears when we told you to put your window down.”
Hill repeatedly yells to another person, believed to be Miami tight end Jonnu Smith, to “Call Drew,” referring to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
A Florida police union claimed that Hill was driving dangerously when he was pulled over and he was detained after refusing to cooperate.
However, Hill said he has “no idea” what caused the arrest.
‘TRANSPARENCY AND TRUST’
The Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement that it is releasing the footage as part of a commitment to “transparency and maintaining public trust.”
“While standard protocol is to release body cam footage after the internal review has concluded, the available body cam footage – a combined 105 minutes and 33 seconds is being released the day following the incident,” it read.
“The department is committed to conducting a thorough objective investigation into this matter, and we will continue to update the public on the outcome of that process.”
After the release of the footage, Hill spoke out again on X.
“Let’s make a change,” he wrote.
The Dolphins released a statement as well, saying they were “saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct” directed toward Hill and other players before the game.
“It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players, yet it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends in peace, as we are grateful this one did.
“‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will carry with resounding impact.”
The team said it will stand beside Tyreek and its other players “as they work to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community.”
“We have always believed that football holds a unique power to bring people together, and we remain hopeful that through the collective work of the players, organization, and our community partners, we can create lasting change.”
‘SHELL-SHOCKED’
Miami Dolphins' statement in full
The Dolphins issued a statement following the release of the bodycam footage:
“We are saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct directed towards Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith by police officers before yesterday’s game. It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players, yet it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends in peace, as we are grateful this one did. ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will carry with resounding impact.
“We are proud to have a strong and positive relationship with the Miami-Dade Police Department and other law enforcement agencies and recognize that the vast majority of officers do serve the community with the utmost character and desire to protect all citizens. However, as is on full display in the videos released tonight, there are some officers who mistake their responsibility and commitment to serve with misguided power. While we commend MDPD for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release this footage, we also urge them to take equally swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.
“We will stand beside Tyreek and our players as they work to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community. We have always believed that the game of football holds a unique power to bring people together, and we remain hopeful that through the collective work of the players, organization and our community partners, we can create lasting change.”
On Monday, Hill said he was still reeling from the incident, telling CNN that he hadn’t fully processed what happened.
“I was shocked. It was crazy because it all happened so fast,” he said.
“Like for me, it just all happened so fast and I really couldn’t like gather everything that was happening.”
Hill explained that he didn’t get out of the car fast because he had previous injuries he was dealing with.
“I play a physical sport, I’ve been doing this for a moment now man so I’m dealing with some stuff,” he said.
“So I guess the officers they felt like I wasn’t doing it on their timing.
“I was doing it but I’m still kind of shell-shocked from it. I’m embarrassed.”
The South Florida Police Benevolent Association defended the officers’ actions, adding that Hill was never placed under arrest.
The association said that Hill wasn’t cooperative with officers and that the police were working in the interest of their own safety.
However, Hill said he gave the police his identification and immediately let up his window.
“And then he came back to the window and was like ‘let your window down now, let your window down now’ and then I let it down,” he said.
“And that’s when he said, ‘If you don’t let your window down, I’m going to snatch you out your car.’ I was like, sir my window is down, like what do you want?”
Hill said he didn’t want to cause a scene “because A – if I let my window down, people walking by, driving by they’re going to notice that it’s me and they’re going to start taking pictures.
“I didn’t want to create a scene at all, I just really wanted to get the ticket and then just go out about my way.”
He added that with the way his car is made, it took him a second to get out of his car.
In an earlier interview, Hill admitted that he may have been speeding, however, when asked by CNN, he said, “I have no idea, I have no idea. But I wasn’t going like 80 or 70 or 60…It’s surprising to me that I got pulled over.”
He added that if he “wasn’t Tyreek Hill” the story would have been very different.
“Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium, that’s worst-case scenario,” he said.
“It’s crazy that me and my family had to go through this.”
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February 9 – Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans, Louisiana
‘HEARTBREAKING’
News of Hill’s arrest was first reported by ESPN by Jeff Darlington, who shared details of the incident on the network’s Sunday NFL Countdown show.
“Tyreek Hill was pulled over for speeding and then got in a verbal spat with police,” Darlington said.
“He was handcuffed and later released.
“He has been cited for reckless driving after ‘an altercation with police in a verbal form.'”
Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus appeared on ESPN to explain what happened.
“It’s a heartbreaking situation, ” Rosenhaus said. “Obviously I love Tyreek and hated to see him in that situation.
Hill’s arrest sparked outrage online with fans sharing their reaction on social media.
“Is it all because he is black? Imagine if he wasn’t Tyreek Hill. These cops should all be let go,” wrote one person.
“No business treating innocent people this way!”
Another wrote: “MDPD’s constant abuse of power has created a climate where civilians fear the police more than the criminals.”
“Bro literally said ‘I’m getting out.’ That meant he unlocked the door to get out but yet they dragged him,” wrote another person.
Hill was released later that day and played against the Jaguars, where he scored a touchdown on an 80-yard pass play from Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter.
To celebrate, Hill reenacted his detainment with fellow wide receiver Jaylen Waddle.
Waddle walked behind Hill, who held his arms behind his back as if he was in handcuffs.
Hill finished the game with a 20-17 victory for the Dolphins with 130 yards receiving on seven receptions.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to the Miami-Dade Police Department for comment.