close
close

Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins and his agent are demanding the firing of the officer involved in the incident

Tyreek Hill of the Dolphins and his agent are demanding the firing of the officer involved in the incident

Tyreek Hill and his agent both called for the officers involved in his arrest before the Miami Dolphins’ season opener on Sunday to lose their jobs.

Hill released a statement through his attorneys on Tuesday evening calling for the “immediate termination” of the suspended officer. That officer, Hill’s attorney said, “placed his hands on or around” Hill’s neck on multiple occasions and “continued his use of force” even as Hill warned him about his knee injury.

“The events … are just a reminder of the reality of the many injustices that black people and minorities face at the hands of law enforcement,” said the statement, from ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “We do not accuse the officer of racism in any way, but we do accuse the customs and practices of law enforcement from a historical perspective of being discriminatory and oppressive toward black people and minorities.”

“We cannot ignore this fact and remain silent on this issue just because it is a difficult conversation.”

That statement came hours after his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, criticized officers for their treatment of Hill — who was dragged from his car and handcuffed Saturday after being stopped just blocks from Hard Rock Stadium. Hill was officially cited for speeding with a “visual estimate of 60 miles per hour.” according to Jeff Darlington of ESPNand he was also issued a reprimand for violating the seat belt requirement.

Rosenhaus went a step further on “The Dan Le Batard Show.”

“I personally believe the officers who did this to Tyreek should not be in that position — they should be fired,” Rosenhaus said. “Look at the guy who kicked him — that guy should be fired. This is out of control. The guy who jumped him and put him in a chokehold? There’s no reason for a police officer to have a badge that performs those functions when Tyreek was not aggressive, violent or fighting back in any way.”

“It was horrific how they treated him. They didn’t treat him like a human being.”

Hill and teammate Calais Campbell were both briefly arrested before the Dolphins’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, although both attended the game as scheduled. Campbell stood his ground to try to deescalate the situation. Miami-Dade police released body camera footage of the incident Monday night as part of their investigation and placed an officer on administrative duty.

Shortly after the footage was released, the Dolphins issued a statement saying they were “saddened by the overly aggressive and violent behavior” of police toward Hill, Campbell and Jonnu Smith, who was also at the scene.

“It is both upsetting and heartbreaking to see the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary violence and hostility toward these players, but it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends peacefully, and we are grateful that this one did,” the statement said. “‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will resonate powerfully. … We will stand by Tyreek and our players as they seek to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact on our community.”

Hill is scheduled to speak to local media on Wednesday for the first time since the footage was released. After Sunday’s game, he said he did not know why he was arrested. At least one of Hill’s teammates has joined him and Rosenhaus in calling for the police officer involved to be fired.

The following video may contain disturbing language and images that are not appropriate for work.

“When you look at the video — and I talked to Tyreek about this — I don’t think his behavior warrants any kind of physical force, to put him in handcuffs or drag him out of the car,” Rosenhaus said. “I mean, how about a little respect? Give him a ticket. If you thought it was a traffic violation, give him the ticket. But handcuffs and the way they kicked him and hit him and the chokehold, that was unbelievable. … The police officers involved should regret that.”

Lawyers for the Miami-Dade Police Department officer who was placed on administrative duty for his role in the incident called for his “immediate reinstatement” on Tuesday.

It was said that entrusting the unnamed officer with administrative duties was “premature”. It is unclear whether the statement was written before or after the body camera footage was released on Monday evening.

“We urge all parties to refrain from making any public statements that could misrepresent our client’s actions and mislead the public about Mr. Hill’s incarceration,” one of his attorneys said in the statement distributed via ESPN.

Hill has vowed to exhaust “all legal avenues” through his attorneys. The South Florida Police Benevolent Association said in a statement that Hill was “not immediately cooperative.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *