Officer in Tyreek Hill detainment put on administrative duty, chief pledges transparency

A second Miami Dolphin was detained shortly after star wide receiver Tyreek Hill was pulled over and also handcuffed, officials said Monday, in what the mayor called a “troubling” interaction that’s led to at least one officer being taken off the streets.

Fans outside of Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens recorded video of police surrounding Hill before he was placed face-down on the ground and handcuffed ahead of the Dolphins’ season-opening victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

The video was widely shared on social media.

Hill’s teammate, defensive lineman Calais Campbell, later told reporters he was driving by and stopped to try to de-escalate the situation before he was also detained.

A police department representative on Monday confirmed that Campbell, a highly respected 38-year-old veteran and former Walter Payton Man of the Year winner, was also detained.

But the spokesperson declined to offer any additional details, including names of the officers who pulled over Hill and handcuffed the players, citing an ongoing internal affairs investigation. 

At least three officers can be seen in the video.

Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie Daniels said on Sunday she’s ordered an internal affairs probe and that one “of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted.”

“I commend Chief (James) Reyes and Director Daniels for the immediate steps taken in the hours that followed today’s incident with a Miami Dolphins player in calling for a swift internal review,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.

“In recent years our nation has confronted important conversations on the use of force, and the internal review process will answer questions about why the troubling actions shown in public video footage were taken by the officer.”

Hill was cited for reckless driving and driving without a license, the player’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, said. Those violations shouldn’t have led to officers detaining Hill, the agent said.

“I don’t want to speak for him but it certainly felt like he wasn’t treated fairly,” Rosenhaus told NBC South Florida on Sunday. “Things escalated out of control.”

A police union representative on Monday said Hill was “not immediately cooperative” and that the player “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,” South Florida Police Benevolent Association President Steadman Stahl said in a statement.

Hill’s agent could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.

A police spokesperson said the agency could not comment on the union’s statement.

“Our office and our department cannot provide any information, any comments,” the police spokesperson said. “They (the union) don’t fall under that same rule.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he was confident that investigators will be able determine if police took correct action.