New police bodycam footage released on Monday shows officers forcefully removing Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill from his car, throwing him to the ground, and handcuffing him during a traffic stop.
The release of over 105 minutes of bodycam footage comes after the Miami Police Department opened an investigation into the incident.
One officer involved has been placed on administrative duty pending the review. The officer, who was not identified, was one of at least three involved in detaining Hill.
The footage begins with an officer questioning Hill through his open car window about not wearing a seat belt.
After a brief exchange, the bodycam footage reveals the traffic stop escalating quickly when Hill rolls up his car window after being instructed to keep it down.
“I am going to get you out of the car. As a matter of fact, get out of the car,” an officer tells Hill, while another officer threatens to break the car’s window.
The body cam footage of Tyreek Hill’s stop and detainment has been released, raising more questions than answers about the Miami-Dade officers’ actions. Was this use of force really necessary? pic.twitter.com/QvMnEJODPu— Ben Crump (@AttorneyCrump) September 9, 2024
After opening the car door, an officer reaches in and roughly grabs Hill by the back of the head and neck before he is swiftly bundled face down on the pavement and handcuffed. One officer is seen placing a knee on Hill’s back and telling him to “stop crying.”
At one point, Hill, 30, is heard saying, “I’ll tell you like this — your job is to serve and protect, right. You’re doing a horrible job of protecting right now.
Hill also adds, “I’m just being a Black man, that’s it. I’m just being Black in America.”
The NFL star was detained while driving to Sunday’s home game between the Dolphins and the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium. He was released shortly afterward with two traffic citations and went on to play a pivotal role in Miami’s victory over Jacksonville.
The police union representing the officers involved in the incident accused Hill on Monday of being “uncooperative” and claimed that the Dolphins receiver had “initiated” the confrontation.
“In our commitment to transparency and maintaining public trust, we are releasing the body-worn camera footage related to the recent incident involving Tyreek Hill,” Miami-Dade Police Department director Stephanie Daniels said in a statement.
“The department is committed to conducting a thorough, objective investigation into this matter, and we will continue to update the public on the outcome of that process,” Daniels added.
(With inputs from agencies)
Comments
0 comment