Miami police union defends officers’ handling of ‘uncooperative’ Tyreek Hill

Sep 29, 2022; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs with the ball against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half at Paycor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-USA TODAY Sports

The Miami-Dade Police Department is investigating the events that led up to Tyreek Hill being handcuffed on his way to Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, but a local police union has concluded that the Miami Dolphins star was in the wrong.

On Monday, the South Florida Police Benevolent Association issued a statement defending the actions of the officers who were at the scene the day before when Hill was placed face down on the pavement and handcuffed during a routine traffic stop. The statement said that Hill was “not immediately cooperative” after being pulled over.

“Before the Dolphins game yesterday, an incident occurred where Tyreek Hill was placed in handcuffs before being released. First, to be clear, at no time was he ever under arrest,” the statement read. “He was briefly detained for officer safety, after driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great risk of danger.

“Upon being stopped, Mr. Hill was not immediately cooperative with the officers on the scene who, pursuant to police and their immediate safety, placed Mr. Hill in handcuffs. Mr. Hill, still uncooperative, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore redirected to the ground.

“Once the situation was sorted out within a few minutes, Mr. Hill was issued two traffic citations and was free to leave.

“We would like to stress to the community to use this as an opportunity to remember that it is always best to obey lawful police commands first and complain later. We have worked hard across all communities to bridge the gap between what people believe law enforcement should and can do, and will continue to do so. In this case, while we will wait for the investigation to run its course, based on what we know, we stand with the actions of our officers but look forward to further open communication moving forward.

“While we are confident in the actions that led to the stop of Mr. Hill, as with any investigation, we will wait for all of the facts to come out, along with any explanation Mr. Hill may have for his actions that initiated this unfortunate incident.”

Miami Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was “uncooperative” with cops and “initiated this unfortunate incident,” the police union in Miami-Dade says.

Full statement 👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/ep4fT8Tkco

— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) September 9, 2024

Hill was cited for careless driving and not wearing a seatbelt. An initial report claimed he got into a verbal altercation with one of the officers, which led to him being handcuffed.

After he caught 7 passes for 130 yards and a touchdown in Miami’s 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, Hill claimed he was not disrespectful and had “no idea” why he was placed in handcuffs.

The Miami-Dade Police Department has begun an internal investigation of the incident, and one officer has already been placed on leave.