The Miami police officer caught on camera pinning NFL star Tyreek Hill face down on a sidewalk had a checkered history of aggressive encounters with citizens — including one time he “forcefully” grabbed a woman grabbed her arm and ‘slammed her onto the hood’. from his police car.
Officer Danny Torres, who is on administrative duty after the September incident with the Dolphins wide receiver, has received multiple suspensions for confrontations that turned physical.
One citizen, Hector Montalban, who had a run-in with Torres in 2018, said he was not surprised to see the officer back in the spotlight.
“Police officers are there to protect and serve. That’s not what this guy is for,” Montalban said NBC Miami in an exclusive interview.
During that encounter, Torres allegedly demanded Montalban’s driver’s license and then cited him for having a “mutilated driver’s license,” despite Montalban claiming the driver’s license was undamaged when it was presented.
Torres’ history of disturbing behavior also includes multiple incidents involving violence against women.
In one particularly shocking incident from 2015, Torres reportedly grabbed a woman by the arm “forcefully” and “slammed her on the hood” of his police car — all because she muttered that officers were “idiots” who didn’t want to solve anything.
According to internal affairs records obtained by NBC Miami, Torres had been called to the scene to address a disagreement involving a family.
Danny Torres (photo) has been suspended ‘several times’ in the past. One citizen, Hector Montalban, who had a run-in with Torres in 2018, said he was not surprised to see the officer back in the spotlight
The officer’s pattern of behavior came to light after his encounter with Hill, where body cameras captured Torres forcibly removing the NFL star from his vehicle before a game at Hard Rock Stadium.
As the family left, a sister reportedly called the officers “idiots.”
According to a complaint from the outlet, Torres “grabbed with force [the sister] by her right arm and slammed her against the hood of his police car, leaving visible bruises, before handcuffing her and restraining her.
Witnesses stated that Torres acted immediately after being insulted.
Torres and another officer alleged the sister resisted arrest while being detained for disorderly conduct, requiring force to secure handcuffs.
At that point, Torres (that sister) forcibly grabbed her right arm and slammed her into the hood of a police car, handcuffed her and placed her in the cruiser, causing visible bruises, the complaint said. One witness said Torres was acting out when the nurse called Torres “an idiot.”
According to reports, the encounter left her with visible bruises.
“I don’t wake up every damn morning to hear someone call me a ******,” Torres reportedly told the woman’s sister during the incident, which resulted in a five-day delay.
But that wasn’t the only time Torres’ encounters with women turned violent.
In a separate 2014 incident, he was accused of bursting through a metal fence to confront a man who had merely sworn at him.
During this confrontation, Torres allegedly pushed the man’s wife and pulled on a gate door with such force that she fell, resulting in a cut finger and a bruised head.
A witness backed up the couple’s story, stating that Torres even “punched the man in the chest” during the heated argument.
Torres denied these allegations in his statement to investigators.
He admitted that he had “become very close” and asked the tenant, “What are you going to do?”
Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill is forced to the ground after being handcuffed
The wide receiver was pinned to the ground by officers prior to the Dolphins’ season opener
The officer’s pattern of behavior came to light after his encounter with Hill, where body cameras captured Torres forcibly removing the NFL star from his vehicle before a game at Hard Rock Stadium.
The department’s own disciplinary report noted that Torres’ “pattern of behavior indicated repeated failure to adhere to department rules and procedures,” which warranted a 10-day suspension in 2019.
Records released by the department show he also received two other suspensions in 2017 for incidents in 2014 and 2015.
In fact, he has one 20-day suspension listed in 2018, with multiple written reprimands on his file – although details of these incidents have not been released.
According to police data obtained by TMZTorres has received a number of complaints since joining the Miami-Dade Police Department in 1996.
It is alleged he has been accused of misconduct six times, including violent offenses and improper procedures, while he has also been the subject of at least 13 investigations involving the use of excessive force.
There have also been some positive compliments – more than twenty – with one award for professionalism in May 2023.
The Miami Dolphins star has called for Torres to be fired, saying he was too rough with him during the incident.
“After a careful and thorough review of the multi-body cameras and videos from concerned citizens that captured the unfortunate events that occurred on Sunday, September 8, 2024 between several Miami Dade Police Department officers and Tyreek Hill, we demand the immediate termination of the officer placed on administrative leave,” Hill said in a statement through attorney Julius B. Collins.
Shocking videos showed Hill handcuffed and held on the ground after he was stopped for speeding, while an officer even appeared to punch him on the sidewalk.
As he was forcibly apprehended by police, several of Hill’s teammates stopped to try to de-escalate the situation, and defensive tackle Calais Campbell himself was briefly placed in handcuffs.
In the astonishing footage, police could be heard telling Hill to “stop crying” as the NFL star said, “Take me to jail… do what you gotta do.”
In one particularly shocking incident from 2015, Torres allegedly “forcibly” grabbed a woman by the arm and “slammed her on the hood” of his police car — all because she muttered that officers were “idiots” who didn’t want to solve anything.
According to police, Hill was stopped for allegedly driving 60 mph in a 60 mph zone – without wearing a seat belt. He was fined a total of $308.
“On at least two occasions during the traffic stop, the escalating officer placed his hands on or around Mr. Hill’s neck. After Mr. Hill was forcibly pulled from his vehicle, this officer was then forcibly placed face down on the sidewalk,” Hill’s statement from his attorney added.
“The officer then placed his knee in Mr. Hill’s back and his hand around Mr. Hill’s neck. After handcuffing Mr. Hill and standing on the sidewalk after being ordered to sit down, Mr. Hill informed the requesting officer of his intention to do so, and there the same officer as before grabbed Mr. Hill from behind and forces him to the ground. As he did so, the officer again placed his hand on or around Mr. Hill’s neck.
“Even as Mr. Hill told the officer he was having a procedure performed on his knee, the officer ignored his statement and continued to escalate his use of force.
“Every action a law enforcement officer takes is governed by standard operating procedures. We believe that the officers’ use of force was excessive, escalating and reckless. We demand that the officer be dismissed with immediate effect.”