What we know about Tyreek Hill’s confrontation with the police

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins’ star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was pulled out of his sports car by Miami-Dade County police officers outside Hard Rock Stadium during a traffic stop before the team’s game on Sunday, sparking a national debate about whether the treatment was justified.

Hill, 30, was pushed face-first to the ground, handcuffed and then forced to the ground again, despite complaining that sitting on the curb was causing him pain in his operated knee.

Hill was eventually released after receiving citations for reckless driving and failure to wear a seatbelt. Hours later, he caught an 80-yard touchdown pass that gave the Dolphins a comeback victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Police Director Stephanie Davis has an officer Administrative leaveand an internal investigation is underway.

How did the conflict come about?

WHAT WE KNOW: Video from a police officer’s body camera Miami-Dade Police Department statistics released late Monday show that about three hours before kickoff on Sunday, two motorcycle cops were parked on an access road south of the stadium when Hill sped by in his McLaren sports car. They immediately gave chase, later saying he was traveling at 60 mph.

Hill slowed down and rolled down his window. A police officer drove up next to him and told him to pull over. He did so, but rolled his window back up.

The officer got off his motorcycle, walked to the car and knocked on Hill’s window.

Hill rolled down his window and told the officer, “Don’t knock on my window like that,” while handing the officer his driver’s license.

The officer asked Hill why he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt. Hill again asked the officer not to knock on his window.

“Why did you put it up? I have to knock so you know I’m here,” the officer replied.

“Give me my ticket, brother, and I can go. I’m late. Do what you have to do,” Hill said to the police officer.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: The name of the officer or his partner or the names of the other officers who arrived.

How did the traffic jam escalate?

WHAT WE KNOW: After asking for his ticket, Hill rolled up his window again.

“Quiet,” the officer hissed, tapping his knuckles on the window. Through the tinted window, Hill can be seen putting on his seatbelt.

Hill opened his window a crack and said, “Don’t tell me what to do,” before rolling the window back up.

“Keep the window down or I’ll get you out of the car. And get out of the car,” the officer said.

A police officer standing to the side orders Hill to get out, or, “I’m going to break this… window,” using an obscenity.

The second officer opened the door. grabbed Hill by the arm and neck and forced him face first to the ground while the player said, “I’m out.” The first two officers and a third then restrained Hill, pulled his arms behind his back and handcuffed him. One of the officers pressed his knee into Hill’s back. Exactly one minute had passed since the officer first knocked on Hill’s window.

Hill screamed into his cell phone, “I’m under arrest, Drew.” Apparently he had been on the phone in the car.

An officer told Hill that he would follow their orders and again cursed at him. Hill told them, “Take me to jail, do what you have to do.” “We will,” an officer replied.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: We don’t know if Hill spoke with his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, or Dolphins director of security, Drew Brooks, both of whom showed up at the scene.

Why didn’t Hill leave his window closed, and are drivers required to do so under Florida law during a traffic stop?

WHAT WE KNOW: Hill told CNN’s Kaitlin Collins on Monday night that he left the window closed because he didn’t want to make a scene when fans arrived.

“If I roll down my window, people walking or driving by will notice it’s me,” Hill said. “And they’ll start taking pictures, and I didn’t want to make a scene.”

But Florida traffic law states that it is a misdemeanor to fail to obey a “lawful command or direction” of a police officer. It also requires drivers and passengers to exit the car when asked to do so during a traffic stop. Hill said he got out as quickly as he could, but injuries sustained during his game slowed him down.

Seven seconds passed between the time the first officer asked Hill to get out of the car and the time the second officer opened the door.

Has Hill had any previous contact with the police?

WHAT WE KNOW: Hill was accused of hitting his girlfriend in college and was kicked off the Oklahoma State University team. He later pleaded guilty to domestic violence and assault by strangulation. In 2019, prosecutors in suburban Kansas City declined to charge Hill after an alleged domestic violence incident involving his fiancée and their 3-year-old child.

Florida records do not indicate that Hill has previously received traffic tickets in the state. He joined the Dolphins in March 2022.

What happened after Hill was handcuffed?

WHAT WE KNOW: Officers pulled Hill to his feet and took him to the sidewalk, where they ordered him to sit on the curb. He told officers he had had knee surgery and couldn’t sit. An officer jumped behind him, put his arm around Hill’s chest or neck, and forced him to sit down.

Hill’s teammates Jonnu Smith and Calais Campbell stopped their vehicles when they saw Hill in handcuffs and attempted to speak to officers, but were told to leave. Officers briefly handcuffed Campbell after accusing him of refusing to comply with their orders to step back.

Police supervisors arrived and discussed the situation with officers. The department deleted most of the audio recordings of those conversations.

About 25 minutes after Hill was stopped, he received his citations and was released.

What did the Miami-Dade Police Department and the police union say?

WHAT WE KNOW: Police Director Davis said she placed one of the officers on leave and ordered an internal investigation after reviewing the videos.

Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, defended the officers’ actions, saying Hill was “briefly detained for safety reasons after driving in a manner that placed himself and others in grave danger.”

“After being stopped, Mr. Hill did not immediately cooperate with the police officers on the scene, who handcuffed Mr. Hill in accordance with regulations and for their immediate safety. Mr. Hill, still not cooperating, refused to sit on the ground and was therefore returned to the ground.”

Ignacio Alvarez, the suspended officer’s lawyer, called for his client’s immediate reinstatement in a statement on Tuesday while respecting Daniels’ call for an investigation.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: Davis and Alvarez did not say which officer was placed on leave. It’s also unknown how long the internal investigation will take.

What did the Dolphins say?

WHAT WE KNOW: The team said it has a close relationship with police but was “saddened” by the altercation and called for “swift and decisive action against officers.”

“Some officers confuse their responsibility and obligation to serve the service with misplaced power,” the team said.

What happens next?

WHAT WE KNOW: Hill’s lawyers have threatened to sue the department and the officers.

WHAT WE DON’T KNOW: Whether Hill’s lawyers will pursue their request. Ultimately, they may not think it’s worth it, or they may want to subject their client to a deposition and discovery process in which the defendants could demand access to personal records and information.

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Spencer reported from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.