Bodycam Footage Reveals Officer’s Uncensored Reaction During Tyreek Hill Incident
Dramatic bodycam footage of Tyreek Hill’s detainment by Miami police officers reveals the stunning moment one cop realized he was dealing with the Dolphins’ wide receiver.
Hill was pulled from his car by law enforcement officials on Sunday afternoon just outside Hard Rock Stadium as he was arriving to play in his team’s opening game. Officers put him in handcuffs for “not immediately cooperating,” according to the Miami-Dade Police Department. Hill’s detention was only temporary, and, after receiving tickets for careless driving and a seatbelt violation, he went on to score an 80-yard touchdown during the Dolphins’ 20–17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.
On Monday, the police department released nearly two hours of bodycam footage detailing the entire incident. In one astonishing clip, an officer informs another of Hill’s identity.
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“Why is he acting up like that?” the first officer asks.
“You know who that is, right?” the second responds. “That’s one of the Dolphin’s star players,” he continues.
“Oh, yeah? F--k,” the first officer says.
Body cam footage of Tyreek Hill and Calais Campbell’s detainment Sunday has been released pic.twitter.com/aZw5eNy6Ht
— Marcel Louis-Jacques (@Marcel_LJ) September 9, 2024
On Monday, Hill told NBC News that the situation “just went from 0 to 60, man. From the moment that those guys pulled up behind me, knocked on my window, it went from 0 to 60 immediately."
Hill’s teammate, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, was also placed in handcuffs and told he was under arrest after coming to the scene in an attempt to defuse the situation. “I told him I will stand where you want me to stand,” Campbell told officers when asked to leave, according to CNN. “You tell me how far I need to back up, and I’ll back up, but I’m not leaving the scene,” he recounted. “This is my friend here. I’m here to support him. I’m not leaving.”
Eventually, Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith arrived on the scene, as well. However, it does not appear he was handcuffed or otherwise detained.
The incident led to swift condemnation of the Miami-Dade Police Department from some corners. The department vowed to conduct “a thorough, objective investigation into this matter, and we will continue to update the public on the outcome of that process.” In a statement, the Dolphins commended the department for so quickly releasing the footage, but called the officer’s conduct “overly aggressive and violent.”
The Dolphins’ statement continued: “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.”
— Miami Dolphins (@MiamiDolphins) September 10, 2024