Bodycam footage of Tyreek Hill's detention released: 'Take me to jail'
The Miami-Dade Police Department on Monday released officers’ bodycam footage of the incident involving Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Miami-Dade Police Director Stephane V. Daniels said more than an hour of footage was going to be released as part of a commitment to transparency. An investigation into the incident is ongoing, and an officer involved in the situation was placed on "administrative duties."
The footage starts with police officers pulling up next to Hill’s car and telling him he was speeding. Hill asks how fast he was going but is instructed to pull over.
The officer knocks on the window and Hill tells the officer not to knock on his window like that as he hands over his driver’s license. Hill then tells the officer to give him his ticket and rolls the window back up. The officer demands that Hill keep his window down.
RELATED: Tyreek Hill is briefly detained for a traffic violation ahead of Dolphins’ season opener
"Keep your window down, or I’m going to get you out of the car. As a matter of fact, get out of the car," the officer says.
A second officer threatens to break the window.
"We’re not playing this game," another officer says as the bodycam shows one officer opening the door, reaching into Hill’s car and pulling him out with a third officer’s help.
"Hey Drew, I’m getting arrested Drew," Hill is heard saying, apparently speaking with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus.
One officer says, "When we tell you to do something, you do it, not what you want but when we tell you. You’re a little f---ing confused."
The Miami-Dade Police Department on Monday released officers’ bodycam footage of the incident involving Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. (Miami-Dade Police Department)
"Take me to jail, bruh. Do what you got to do," Hill responds while lying on the ground.
A bystander in a separate vehicle near the incident appears to ask what is happening with Hill. The wide receiver responds, "I didn’t do nothing."
Officers guided Hill to a sitting position on the curb next to his car. Hill told them he had surgery on his knee as he was going down, and one officer asked if he had surgery on his ears.
Another officer on the scene asks the officer whose bodycam footage was released if he knows the man who is sitting on the ground. The officer on the bodycam says he doesn't know who he is, and the other officer responds, "That’s one of the Dolphins’ star players."
The Miami-Dade Police Department on Monday released officers’ bodycam footage of the incident involving Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill. (Miami-Dade Police Department)
The officer wearing the bodycam explains to a superior what happened. In the background, Hill is yelling, "I’m just being a Black man, that’s it."
Hill was issued traffic citations and left in the passenger seat of his car with Rosenhaus.
Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell then walks up to the scene with his hands up about four minutes into the footage. He is ordered to back away from the scene or that he will be handcuffed as well. Campbell says he wants to know what happened.
Campbell was later placed in handcuffs.
The officer who addressed Campbell also spoke to Jonnu Smith, who had pulled over to make sure everything was OK. The officer demanded Smith’s license.
Statement from Miami Dolphins
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Monday he was upset by the situation. McDaniel appeared to fight back tears as he reflected on the incident.
"It’s probably more visceral because, yes, I do spend a lot of time prioritizing empathy, and when you know you can’t truly understand, the unknown is what crushes me," McDaniel said. "I can only forecast, and so my forecast — what if it’s worse?"
The Dolphins later released the following statement:
"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."
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