Tyreek Hill is speaking out after being detained by police before his football team’s season opener this week.
The incident happened Sunday when the Miami Dolphins wide receiver was pulled over by police during a traffic stop outside the Hard Rock Stadium.
“I was shocked man,” Hill said in an interview with CNN. “Like it, it's crazy because it all happened so fast. But like for me man, it just all happened so fast, and I really couldn't gather everything that was happening.”
Bodycam footage released by the Miami-Dade County Police Department showed Hill forced out of his sports car by officers. They can be seen pulling him out by the arm and head, before pushing him face down onto the roadway as they handcuffed him.
Before being pulled from his vehicle, an officer repeatedly knocked on Hill's car window telling him to “keep your window down” after Hill had rolled it back up.
He lowered it slightly when an officer said “keep your window down or I’m going to get you out of the car — as a matter of fact, get out of the car.”
That’s when the officers yanked him out and the altercation ensued.
Hill later told CNN he planned to get out of the car, but wasn’t fast enough.
“I was following rules, I wasn’t moving fast because you know I got injuries, I got things that I go through. I play a physical sport, I’ve been doing this for a moment now man so I’m dealing with some stuff, so I guess the officers, they felt like I wasn’t doing it on their timing. I was doing it, but I’m still kind of shell-shocked from it,” Hill said. “I’m embarrassed.”
While Hill was cuffed on the ground, video showed he did not resist officers’ physical force.
"It was crazy, you know, and me being a father, me being a husband, and all that, I was just putting myself in that situation like, ‘Hey, I gotta be smart,’” he said. “That's why I really, I wasn't on that kind of energy.”
Hill said he doesn’t want to cause any division and believes his purpose in life is “bringing people together.”
“I do football camps all across the world, trying to bring different people together, different kids, different parents, you know, because we in this together baby, like we on this Earth together, we gotta live together,” he said.
Hill’s teammate Calais Campbell was also briefly placed in handcuffs for trying to deescalate the situation. He told Fox Sports he pulled over in support of Hill and stayed where officers told him to stand but that he was still briefly placed in handcuffs.
Hill received a careless driving and seat belt violation, sources told ESPN reporter Jeff Darlington. Campbell said he himself did not receive a citation.
Dolphins teammate Jonnu Smith had also stopped to offer support.
In response to the incident, Miami-Dade police said they placed an involved officer on administrative duties pending investigation.
"Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation to ensure a thorough review of the matter," Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement.
RELATED STORY | Officer disciplined after Miami Dolphins' Tyreek Hill was detained near stadium
The Dolphins also released a strongly-worded statement condemning the actions of certain involved officers.
"We are saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct directed towards Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith by police officers before yesterday's game. It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players, yet it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends in peace, as we are grateful this one did. 'What if I wasn't Tyreek Hill?' is a question that will carry with resounding impact,” the Dolphins said in their statement.
The team said they have a “strong and positive relationship” with the Miami-Dade Police Department, and recognize that the majority of officers serve the community well, but they said “there are some officers who mistake their responsibility and commitment to serve with misguided power.”
“We will stand beside Tyreek and our players as they work to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community. We have always believed that the game of football holds a unique power to bring people together, and we remain hopeful that through the collective work of the players, organization and our community partners, we can create lasting change,” said the Dolphins.
The South Florida Police Benevolent Association said in a statement posted by Darlington that “Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on scene."
Hill’s attorney Julius Collins also said in a statement that his legal team is “exploring all legal remedies" following the incident.
