“I think I could have handled it better,” Tyreek Hill said Wednesday about the situation in which he was arrested outside Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday ahead of the Dolphins' season opener.
Dolphins star receiver Spoke to the media Ahead of Thursday's game against the Bills, he reflected on an incident involving Miami-Dade County Police officers and called for one of them to be fired.
“My life is full of responsibility: How can I do better? I have police officers in my family right now and we've talked about it, and I would say, yes, I could have done better,” Hill said at a news conference. “I could have opened the window in that moment, but I don't want to be the center of attention, I don't want to be watched on cameras or on cell phones in that moment. But at the end of the day, I'm a human being and I have to follow the rules and do the same thing that other people do.”
“So does that give them the right to literally beat me up? Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back in time and do some things differently.”
Hill, 30, was called off last weekend on the way to the Dolphins' Week 1 game against the Jaguars.
Body camera footage released Monday shows an officer approaching Hill's vehicle and tapping on the window, to which the eight-time Pro Bowl player appears to respond, “Hey, don't bang on the window like that.”
Hill was then instructed to exit the vehicle and an officer opened the car door, dragged him from his seat, threw him to the ground, placed him face down and handcuffed him.
Miami-Dade Police said Sunday that the incident is the subject of an “immediate investigation” and that 27-year veteran officer Danny Torres has been placed on administrative assignment on the case.
“We are saddened by the overly aggressive and violent actions taken by police officers towards Tyreek Hill, Callie Campbell and Jonnu Smith prior to yesterday's game,” the Dolphins said in a statement Monday, referring to fellow Dolphins players who were with Hill at the scene.
“It is both infuriating and heartbreaking to see those we trust to protect our community use unnecessary force and hostility against our players. But it also serves as a reminder that not all situations like this end peacefully, and we are grateful that this time it does.”
In a statement released through her lawyer following the incident, Hill called for Torres to be fired.
“All actions taken by law enforcement officers are governed by standard operating procedures. We believe the officers' use of force was excessive, escalating and reckless. We demand that the officers be fired immediately.” Hill says Tuesday through attorney Julius B. Collins.
The Dolphins will host the Bills on Thursday night, with kickoff scheduled for 8:15 pm ET.
