Police union says officers were correct to handcuff NFL star Tyreek Hill facedown

Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill was handcuffed and placed face down on the ground during a traffic stop because he did not “immediately cooperate” with officers, the president of the union representing Miami-Dade police said in a statement Monday.

A video of Hill in handcuffs with at least three officers surrounding him quickly went viral, just hours before the Dolphins opened their season on Sunday. Hill later said he had been respectful and did not know why the officers had placed him in handcuffs.

“I honestly have no idea,” Hill said after Sunday’s game. “I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way. She didn’t swear. She didn’t do any of that. So like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out, man.”

Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said Hill was handcuffed per police policy.

“Prior to yesterday’s Dolphins game, there was an incident where Tyreek Hill was placed in handcuffs prior to being released,” Stahl said in a statement. “First, to be clear, he was never arrested. He was briefly detained for the officers’ safety after driving in a manner that put himself and others in grave danger.

“When apprehended, Mr. Hill did not immediately cooperate with officers on scene who, in accordance with policy and for their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs. Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore escorted to the ground. Once the situation was resolved within a few minutes, Mr. Hill was issued two traffic tickets and allowed to leave.”

An officer was temporarily placed on administrative leave following the incident, and the department has launched an internal investigation. Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels told the Miami Herald on Monday that the decision to place the officer on leave came after a review of body camera footage of the roadside incident.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava released a statement praising the department’s immediate launch of an investigation.

“In recent years, our country has faced important conversations about the use of force,” she said, “and the internal review process will answer questions about why the disturbing actions seen on public video were taken by the officer.”

Hill said officers told him he was being pulled over for speeding and reckless driving, but added he didn’t know why the situation escalated. Hill’s teammate, defensive tackle Calais Campbell, was also briefly handcuffed after he said he tried to de-escalate the situation. Campbell said he was on his way to the game when he saw Hill in handcuffs.

“They were trying to pull him to the ground,” Campbell told ESPN on Monday. “I saw them kicking him and pulling him down, I mean, pulling him down [on] the handcuffs; shoulders looked like they messed up. They kind of dragged him down. I feel like an officer pushed on his head.”

Campbell said he got out of his car with his hands above his head and walked to the crime scene, telling officers he was a friend of Hill. He remained at the scene to “support” the wide receiver after officers asked him to leave. Police later placed Campbell in handcuffs for “disobeying a direct order” by being too close to the crime scene.

Hill played in Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which began a few hours after his arrest. He appeared to reference the incident after scoring an 80-yard touchdown, celebrating with his arms behind his back as if he were in handcuffs.

According to Hill, his fame may have prevented the situation from escalating.

“I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets a little questionable when you do,” said Hill, who is black. “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? God knows what that guy or guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I did what my uncle always told me when you’re in a situation like that: ‘Just listen, put your hands on the wheel and just listen.'”

Hill is one of the NFL’s top receivers, having been named to the Pro Bowl every season since entering the league in 2016. He led the league in receiving last season with a career-high 1,799 yards. He won the Super Bowl with his previous team, the Kansas City Chiefs, in February 2020. He was traded to the Dolphins in March 2022 and signed a four-year, $120 million contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.

Sunday’s incident wasn’t Hill’s first run-in with Miami-Dade police. Last offseason, Hill was investigated by the department for assault after it was reported he got into an altercation with a marina worker, which apparently ended in Hill punching the worker. Hill and the man later settled their dispute.