One of the officers involved in the dramatic arrest of Dolphins star Tyreek Hill has been placed on administrative duties as part of an internal investigation into the incident.
The wide receiver was pinned to the ground and handcuffed by police on his way to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday morning.
Hours later, a statement from Miami-Dade Police Chief Stephanie V. Daniels, reported by the NFL Network, revealed that the officer had been placed on administrative duties during “a thorough investigation into the matter.”
“I am committed to transparency and accountability to the community in every situation involving my officers,” the statement said.
Hill, who played for the Dolphins in their season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, was reportedly pulled over to the side of the road about a block away from the Hard Rock after being issued a ticket for “reckless driving” on his way to the stadium Sunday morning.
Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed and detained by police Sunday morning as he entered the team’s Hard Rock Stadium
The NFL star was pinned to the ground and handcuffed, and shocking footage of the incident even shows him being punched by a police officer.
Hill was subsequently held to the ground and led away in handcuffs after an alleged altercation with an officer, before being released by police shortly afterward. Several of his Miami teammates reportedly stopped by to de-escalate the situation.
After the astonishing ordeal, Hill made his way to the stadium where he had started for the Dolphins. He even scored a touchdown during the Week 1 victory (20-17), which he celebrated by making a handcuff gesture.
News of Hill’s arrest has sparked outrage online. ESPN anchor Stephen A. Smith slammed the “unnecessary” incident Sunday morning, drawing comparisons to the infamous arrest of golfer Scottie Scheffler in Kentucky earlier this year.
Smith wrote on X next to a video of Hill being handcuffed and laid on the ground: “See for yourself. This is bullshit. Totally unnecessary.
“And by the way… I know the Scottie Scheffler incident was in Georgia — not Florida — and he was arrested, detained, booked. I also know we don’t know all the details, blah… blah… blah! But he wasn’t face down on the ground in cuffs? And then he was forced back down by officers a second time. No! This story isn’t going away — and it doesn’t have to.”
The Dolphins confirmed in a statement Sunday morning that their player was safe and that his teammates were present at the stadium ahead of the game.
The team’s statement read: “This morning, WR Tyreek Hill was stopped for a traffic incident approximately one block from the stadium and briefly detained by police. He has since been released.
Hill, who played for the Dolphins in their season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, was seen being handcuffed by police in videos circulating on social media
The wide receiver scored an 80-yard touchdown just hours after being pinned down by police in Miami
The 30-year-old imitated him when he was held in celebration after scoring a long touchdown
‘Several teammates witnessed the incident and stopped to offer support.
‘Tyreek and all other players involved have arrived safely at the stadium and will be available for today’s match.’
Although his client has been released, Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, described the incident as a “heartbreaking situation” that was “completely unnecessary” and said action will be taken.
Rosenhaus called his client’s short detention “astonishing.”
“I’m very upset about it,” he told Darlington on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown. “We’re going to have to look at it.”
Rosenhaus told Hill after the incident, “He said he drove into the stadium, the police pulled him over, pulled him out of the car and were being rude to him at that point.”
The Dolphins receiver is pictured with his wife Keeta, whom he married last November
“It’s a legal situation, so I have to be careful not to give too many details,” he continued. “But he was coming into the stadium when all this was happening. All of the extra stuff that was happening, from my perspective, seems completely unnecessary.
“I’m very upset about it, I was very worried about Tyreek. But thank God the situation calmed down when I got there.”
Hill enters his third season with the Dolphins after joining from the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
The five-time first-team All-Pro helped Kansas City to a Super Bowl victory in 2020, but he has yet to find the same success in Miami.