The Dolphins are defending wide receiver Tyreek Hill after body camera footage was released of him being detained by police before a game.
Miami-Dade Police on Monday released more than 105 minutes of video showing Hill being dragged from his car, thrown to the ground and handcuffed by officers following a traffic stop outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Teammate Callie Campbell approached the scene with his hands up and tried to help Hill, but was handcuffed before being allowed to leave. As Hill was wrestled to the ground, Jonnu Smith also got out of his car and was told to back away.
“We are saddened by the excessively aggressive and violent actions taken by police officers towards Tyreek Hill, Callie Campbell and Jonnu Smith prior to yesterday's game,” the team said in a statement on social media. “It is infuriating and heartbreaking to see such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players by the same people we trust to protect our community. But it also serves as a reminder that situations like this do not always end peacefully. We are grateful that this time it did. The question, 'What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?' will remain with a resonating jolt.”
“We are proud to have a strong and successful relationship with the Miami-Dade Police Department and other law enforcement agencies, and know that the vast majority of our officers serve our community with the highest integrity and a desire to protect all citizens. However, as made perfectly clear in the video released tonight, some officers mistake their responsibility and duty to serve for false power. While we commend MDPD for taking the appropriate and necessary steps to swiftly release this footage, we urge them to take equally swift and strong action against any officers involved in such despicable conduct.”
The team hopes this incident will spark change.
“We stand with Tyreek and our players as they seek to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community,” the Dolphins said in a statement. “We have always believed that football has a unique power to bring people together, and through the collaborative efforts of our players, organizations and community partners, we are hopeful we can create lasting change.”
Hill was charged with careless driving and a seat belt violation before being released at the scene, according to ESPN.
He had seven catches for 130 yards receiving and a touchdown in a 20-17 win over the Jaguars in the season opener.
He celebrated his score by imitating being handcuffed by a teammate in the end zone.
Miami-Dade Police have placed the incident under “immediate investigation.”
Before the body camera footage was released Monday, the South Florida Police Benevolent Association said in a statement that Hill had been “uncooperative” with officers.
“When Mr. Hill was stopped, he did not immediately cooperate with officers on scene, so officers followed protocol and handcuffed Mr. Hill for his immediate safety. Mr. Hill remained uncooperative and refused to sit on the ground, so he was instructed to do so,” Stedman Staal, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said in a statement.
Hill addressed the incident in an interview with NBC on Monday, saying things “went from 0 to 60 really quickly.”
“If I wasn't Tyreek Hill, God knows, worst case scenario, I'd be shot or in jail,” he said. “It's just a speeding ticket, and it's insane that a cop would treat it like that.”
Dolphins players and staff were shocked by the incident.
“For me personally, the more I thought about it, the harder it was to not get angry,” head coach Mike McDaniel said. he told reporters on Monday.“It was because of my teammates, trying to put me in the situation that they described emotionally. … I think what really bothers me, honestly, is that I don't know exactly what it feels like.”
