The Miami Dolphins' star wide receiver has hired a prominent civil rights attorney who represented the family of George Floyd, who was detained on the way to the team's season opener earlier this month.
Tyreek Hill has hired national civil rights attorney Devon Jacob, who previously helped represent the family of George Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police in 2020. Reported.
Jacob is Previously worked The former 911 operator, firefighter, police officer and former deputy attorney general of Pennsylvania said Hills' situation highlights current problems in law enforcement.
“I'm a former police officer, and I've been an advocate for law enforcement for 10 years,” Jacob told Local 10. “It's really frightening when the people who are the most out of control on the scene are law enforcement.”
The former police officer and lawyer believes Hill's detention on September 8th may have played out differently if he hadn't been a well-known NFL player.
“The Dolphins could have reached out and intervened and released Tyreek,” Jacob told the outlet, “but that doesn't happen with the general public.”
The Pennsylvania-based attorneys will join Hills' current attorneys Julius B. Collins, Jeffrey A. Nieman and Steven B. Kelley Jr. as the NFL Pro Bowler pushes for reforms at police departments across the country. USA Today Sports.
“Tyreek plans to continue the national movement for necessary police reform that began in the wake of the death of George Floyd,” Jacob told the outlet on Monday.
“Tyreek is calling on Congress to finally pass the George Floyd Police Justice Act.”
Collins added that his client intends to “speak up on behalf of all people in the broader fight against police misconduct across the country.”
“Mr. Hill is adamant that his legal team will ensure that the voices of those who have been ignored and silenced for so long on the issue of police reform are finally heard,” Collins said.
Hill received two citations for careless driving on the way to Hard Rock Stadium and also received a traffic ticket for a seat belt violation.
The Super Bowl-winning wide receiver was reportedly traveling 60 mph when he was pulled over by police.
Body camera footage shows an officer knocking on the driver's side window of Hill's black McLaren 720 Coupe and ordering him to roll it down before dragging him from the sports car and handcuffing him.
One of the officers who responded to the scene, Danny Torres, has been placed on administrative leave and the Miami-Dade Police Department has launched an internal investigation into the incident.
Torres, who accused Hill of using “excessive” force, has been suspended six times in his 27-year career. According to reports.
“How can you get suspended six times in any job and not get fired?” Jacob asked. Local 10.
“The NFL is one of those organizations that can get suspended for something like that,” Stedman Staal, president of the Miami-Dade County police union, said in response to a question from the lawyers.
“Both sides could have handled the situation differently. We will study and learn from this incident. Should they have handcuffed him when he was removed from the vehicle? That was the officer's discretion,” Staal said.
Torres' six suspensions varied in length from five to 20 days.
Hill acknowledged that he “could have played better” during the exchange but called for Torres to be fired.
“After a careful and thorough review of multiple body camera and concerned citizen videos that captured the unfortunate incident that occurred between multiple Miami-Dade Police Department officers and Tyreek Hill on Sunday, September 8, 2024, we are demanding the immediate termination of the officers who have been placed on administrative leave.” Hill said through his lawyer, Julius B. Collins..
