Tyreek Hill wasn’t exactly a driving legend before he played a starring role in a controversial traffic stop on Sunday.
While en route to the Miami Dolphins’ opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the wide receiver was pulled from his vehicle and forced to the ground by authorities.
Nearly a week after the viral incident, the New York Post reported on previous traffic-related confrontations between Cheetah and Miami-Dade police.
Years before Hill signed with the Dolphins, he was ticketed for running a red light, according to documents seen by the NY Post.
Eight days after he failed to pay the fine on August 8, 2018, a judge suspended the then-Kansas City Chiefs player’s license and issued another fine.
Tyreek Hill’s tainted traffic record with the Miami-Dade Police Department was made public Saturday
Hill was at the center of a dramatic traffic stop on his way to Miami’s opening game on Sunday
On September 6 of that year, the suspension was lifted after Hill paid $293 to settle the case.
Following Sunday’s heavy traffic stop, Hill was issued two tickets, including one for reckless driving on the way to Hard Rock Stadium and one for not wearing a seat belt.
Police body camera footage of the incident was released, showing officers telling Hill to “stop crying” and “do what we tell him to do.”
In another clip, an officer is seen knocking on Hill’s driver’s side window and telling him to roll it down, then removing the receiver from his black McLaren 720s coupe.
Hill accused one of the responding officers, Danny Torres, of using excessive force during the arrest.
Torres, who has been suspended six times in his 27-year career, has been suspended from active duty as Miami-Dade police launch an internal investigation into the matter.
His previous suspensions ranged from five to twenty days.
Hill received two tickets on Sunday, including one for reckless driving and not wearing a seat belt.
Hill and teammate Jaylen Waddle reenacted a catch after the receiver’s touchdown
In an interview with Taylor Rooks after the incident, Hill recounted how an officer tried to elicit a reaction from him during the arrest.
“That happened a lot,” Hill said. “Every time I was handcuffed behind my back, the officer would squeeze my neck. Like he was trying to get me to do something.”
Hill later admitted he had only seen the footage once, while his wife and mother have seen it “over 100 times” and grow angrier with each viewing.
“Let’s not get angry, let’s learn,” Hill tells his family. “Because the more angry we get, the more I feel like we’re going backwards. It’s all about accountability on both sides.”
Hill indicated that he does not want to speak directly to the officers involved, but that he will talk “to the people at the top” and have the uncomfortable conversations that are necessary.
The arrest did not detract from his time on the field. Shortly after the arrest, Hill scored a touchdown in a win over Jacksonville. On Thursday, Hill played in Miami’s loss to the Buffalo Bills.