Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill emphatically said Wednesday the police officer involved in his traffic stop and detainment this week should be terminated.
Hill, who was talking to reporters at a team-sanctioned press conference, was asked how he feels about his lawyer saying the officer involved should be dismissed.
“Gone, gone, gone, gone. He got to go, man,” Hill said. “In that instant, right there, like, not only did he treat me bad, you know, I’m saying he also treated my teammates with, you know, disrespect. You know, he had some crazy words towards them, and they ain’t even do nothing. Like what did they do to you?”
Hill continued, “He gotta go, man. … And not too many times Cheetah says people go to go,” referring to his nickname because he’s among the fastest players in the NFL.
Hill was detained by Miami-Dade County police on Sunday over allegations of careless driving and failure to wear a seat belt.
His teammates, tight end Jonnu Smith and defensive lineman Calais Campbell, who were driving by at the time, saw him being detained and stopped to help.
Campbell was handcuffed even though he was standing off to the side, Hill has said.
Danny Torres, a 27-year veteran, has been taken off the streets and placed on administrative duty as the department’s internal affairs investigators probe the matter, police have said in a statement.
Hill was accused of the violations that carry penalties of $179 for careless driving and $129 for failing to wear a seat belt, copies of the tickets showed.
Torres’ lawyer and representatives for Miami police were not immediately reached Wednesday afternoon for comment.
Ignacio Alvarez, of the ALGO law firm, is representing the officer involved. Alvarez said in a statement Tuesday that the decision to place his client on administrative leave was “premature,” although he respected calls for a thorough review.
“We call for our client’s immediate reinstatement, and a complete, thorough, and objective investigation, as Director Daniels has also advocated. Our client will not comment until this investigation is concluded and the facts are fully revealed,” Alvarez said.
A representative for the police union has said Hill was at fault for not being “immediately” cooperative with officers.
In a Monday statement posted on X, the Dolphins said they were “saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct” directed at their players by the police.
Hill was driving a black 2018 McLaren on westbound Northwest 199 Street about 10:40 a.m. Sunday, the citations showed.
The traffic stop was in the shadow of Hard Rock Stadium, with police bodycams and fans with cellphones capturing the moment Hill was handcuffed and placed face down on the pavement before his team’s season opener.
On Monday, Hill told NBC News that if he weren’t a famous football player, officers may have shot or arrested him.
Hill on Wednesday also said he still loves cops and he has police officers in his family.
He also said he could have approached the traffic stop differently.
“I will say I could have been better, you know, I could have let down my window, you know, in that instant,” Hill said. “But the thing about me is, man, … I don’t want attention. … I don’t want to be like cameras out phones on … in that moment. But at the end of the day, you know, I’m human. … I gotta follow rules.”
