Miami Dolphins Condemn Aggressive Police Behavior Toward Tyreek Hill
The Miami Dolphins of the NFL condemned the aggressive and violent behavior of the officers who arrested and handcuffed their players Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell, and Jonnu Smith following a traffic incident last Sunday.
"We are saddened by the excessively aggressive and violent conduct directed at Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell, and Jonnu Smith by the police officers before yesterday's game. It is heartbreaking to see the same people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force against these players," the team wrote in the first part of a statement shared on its social media platforms.
Last Sunday, Tyreek Hill was pulled over for speeding just a few streets away from Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Dolphins, before the team’s Week 1 debut of the NFL season.
The incident went viral on social media after videos circulated showing the receiver lying on the ground with his arms behind his back while an officer handcuffed him. This was confirmed earlier Monday when footage from the officers' body cameras was released.
"When we tell you to do something, you do it. Do you understand? Do you understand? It’s not about what you want, it's about what we tell you to do. You seem a little confused," one officer is heard saying to the receiver before Hill exited his car to be handcuffed.
The other two players, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith, were also handcuffed when they attempted to assist their teammate.
In its statement, the Miami Dolphins raised the question of what might have happened if the person arrested had not been a public figure.
"'What would have happened if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?' is a question that will have a lasting impact. We are proud to have a positive relationship with the Police Department, but as seen in the videos, there are officers who confuse their responsibility to serve with misguided power," the team emphasized.
On Sunday night, the Miami-Dade Police Department announced that one of its officers had been assigned to administrative duties pending the investigation.
"While we commend the MDPD for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release these videos, we also urge them to take swift and strong measures against the officers involved in such disgraceful behavior. In the meantime, we stand by Tyreek and our players," the statement concluded.
The incident did not prevent Tyreek Hill from playing in the Dolphins' 20-17 victory over the Jaguars, a game in which he scored a touchdown, celebrating with the help of a teammate by reenacting the scene where he was handcuffed.