Emotional Tyreek Hill admits he feels ’embarrassed for my wife and kids’ in wake of dramatic traffic stop – as he reveals new details and accuses cops of trying to bait him into a reaction
Tyreek Hill admitted he felt embarrassed on behalf of his family after a traffic stop on the way to the Dolphins’ home opener on Sunday turned dramatic.
While en route to Hard Rock Stadium for Miami’s showdown with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the wide receiver was pulled from his car and handcuffed to the ground.
Ahead of their second home game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, Hill spoke with Taylor Rooks to shed more light on the incident.
“I really didn’t think that,” Hill said of dealing with the arrest. “It’s tough, it’s hard. Going through something like that is traumatic, man. It’s embarrassing.
“For my family, my kids, my wife, especially. My wife was worried when she was pregnant,” Hill continued. “So yeah, I’m still trying to put everything together, still putting the pieces together.”
Tyreek Hill admitted he felt ashamed of his family after his arrest last weekend
Hill is married to Keeta Vaccaro (pictured at NFL Honors), who is currently pregnant
“I just feel like it doesn’t represent the name on the back of my shirt in the right way,” Hill added. “The other side of it is that it’s great because I get the chance to at least try to raise awareness [what] “This is what this entire region has been doing for the past decade.”
“You have pros and cons in every situation, it’s what you do that matters. You learn from your situation, you hold yourself accountable. Like, how can you get better.”
The dramatic traffic stop went viral after footage circulated showing officers forcing Hill from his vehicle and another police officer kicking Hill during his arrest.
However, bodycam footage from one of the officers on the scene showed that Hill did not have the best approach to the arrest. After admitting how he could have handled the arrest better, Hill gave his opinion on how events unfolded.
‘[I} gave my ID, the next step is, I guess, roll your window all the way down. Which is, there’s not a law for that,’ Hill said. ‘But I guess, in the heat of the moment, the officer’s thinking about his safety.
‘I’m thinking about I don’t want pictures taken of me and people saying ‘Hey, is that Reek before a game, getting pulled over?”
Hill was at the center of a dramatic traffic stop on his way to Miami’s opening game on Sunday
Hill and teammate Jaylen Waddle reenacted an arrest after the receiver’s touchdown
Hill added that the officer tried to get a reaction from him by pinching his neck.
‘I tried to meet in the middle and say ‘Here’s my ID,’ and Imma leave my window barely deal. It’s crazy to think about it now. Does that give them the right to pull me out of my car? No. It doesn’t give them the right to put their hands on me, antagonize me.
‘There was a lot of that going on… whenever I was handcuffed behind my back, the officer was pinching me on my neck. Like, trying to get me to do something to him.’
Hill later admitted that he’s only seen the footage once. Meanwhile, his wife and mother have seen the clip ‘over 100 times’ and get angrier with each viewing.
‘Let’s not get mad, let’s learn,’ Hill tells his family. ‘Cause the more we get mad, I feel like that’s moving us backwards. It’s all about accountability on both sides.’
Noting that he does not want to speak directly to the officers involved, Hill said he will ‘talk to the people at the top’ and have the uncomfortable conversations needed.
While adding that athletes want to give police officers a voice, as they want safe communities for their families, Hill reassured that he will not let it get in the way of football. Despite the unpleasant experience, Cheetah does not plan on kneeling during the national anthem or letting the situation trickle into his profession.
‘Football is my sanctuary,’ Hill claimed. ‘This is where I pay my bills at. This is where I take care of my family.’