Likely the most shocking story of the NFL’s first full slate of games took place off the field Sunday — outside a stadium, in fact.
Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill was detained by police after a traffic stop while the All-Pro was approaching Hard Rock Stadium for Miami’s season opener against the Jaguars. Hill was ultimately able to continue on and play as scheduled, even scoring a game-changing 80-yard touchdown in a narrow win, but the incident clearly left him frustrated.
Hill made light of the detainment with a handcuffs celebration after his touchdown, but he said after the game that he was “pissed off” and “fired up,” even asking what the end result would have been had it not been an NFL player in that situation.
Here are the details on Hill’s detainment, as well as video from the incident.
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Why did Tyreek Hill get detained?
Hill was officially cited for careless driving and a seatbelt violation after reportedly speeding on his way to Hard Rock Stadium.
Video captured officers handcuffing Hill and placing him on the ground, where one officer at one point had his knee on the receiver’s back. Other Dolphins players came to the scene to help Hill, and defensive lineman Calais Campbell was handcuffed as well at one point but not charged.
One officer was placed on administrative leave hours after the detainment, and the Miami-Dade Police Department said it was investigating what led to the incident.
The South Florida Police Benevolent Association released more details in a statement Monday, clarifying that Hill was never under arrest but rather “briefly detained for officer safety.”
The police union claimed Hill was “not immediately cooperative with the officers on scene” after being pulled over for “driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great risk of danger.”
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
No publicly released video captured the moments that led to Hill getting pulled over, but some drivers caught footage of Hill on the ground in handcuffs.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel expressed his frustration with the situation on Monday, choking up and explaining that he was proud of “teammates being teammates” and helping Hill out.
An emotional Mike McDaniel gets choked up when discussing the Tyreek Hill/Calais Campbell incident with Miami-Dade police Sunday. pic.twitter.com/D0VYDjFzQn
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) September 9, 2024
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Tyreek Hill detainment video
The story first broke with the help of citizen journalism, as a fan driving by the scene captured video of Hill standing with officers while handcuffed. The Dolphins star was seated on the ground by the end of the clip.
TYREEK HILL ARRESTED BEFORE OPENING KICKOFF RIGHT OUTSIDE HARD ROCK STADIUM #nfl #nflopeningday #fantasyfootball #espn #miami #MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/9MtCikLMcS
— Nolan (@NolanFried73315) September 8, 2024
Another video showed Hill laying flat down on the ground in handcuffs, with an officer’s knee on his back at one point.
Video of Tyreek Hill’s arrest today: pic.twitter.com/Kope2Ma6tk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2024
Despite the handcuffs, Hill was never placed under arrest and was able to continue into Hard Rock Stadium.
Tyreek Hill bodycam video
Miami-Dade Police released the body footage of the incident with Hill. The officer who pulled Hill over is heard saying he does not know who Hill is, and does not recognize him as one of the players from the Dolphins.
Campbell is seen standing on the sidewalk and is instructed to leave before eventually he is placed in handcuffs by the officers. The officer can be heard saying that he is “under arrest.”
SLATER SCOOP: Tyreek Hill body-cam video from Miami-Dade Police. pic.twitter.com/aJvD4SamZk
— Andy Slater (@AndySlater) September 9, 2024
Tyreek Hill arresting officer
Hill wasn’t formally arrested, but one of the officers involved in the incident was placed on administrative leave in the hours after. The name of the officer has not been released.
The Miami-Dade Police Department confirmed it started a “thorough review” of the incident on Sunday.
— Miami-Dade Police (@MiamiDadePD) September 8, 2024
When told an officer was placed on leave, Hill said after Sunday’s game, “That tells you all you need to know.”
Hill’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, was likewise frustrated after the incident. He was seen calming Hill down at the scene and later told ESPN that the situation was “heartbreaking” to witness.
“How things escalated into the situation that they were in, in handcuffs and being held on the ground by police is mind-boggling to me,” Rosenhaus said. “I’m deeply concerned by that. Very troubled. We will be looking into it.”
