Dolphins star Tyreek Hill handcuffed, police officer suspended, investigation launched

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed and laid facedown on a street outside the team’s stadium after being pulled over for speeding and reckless driving Sunday morning before the Dolphins’ first game of the season. The incident left the star wide receiver baffled and led to a police officer being placed on leave.

The police officer, whose identity has not been released, was one of at least three officers involved in Hill’s arrest. Some fans saw Hill being handcuffed on his way to the game and took a video that quickly spread on social media.

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Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie V. Daniels said she had launched an internal investigation. When told after the game that the officer was on leave pending the outcome of the investigation, Hill remarked, “That should tell you all you need to know.”

Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell, who was also briefly handcuffed after coming to his teammate’s aid, commented, “It makes sense given the situation.”

Hill expressed confusion at the officers’ actions and claimed he had “no idea” why he was handcuffed. “I wasn’t being disrespectful because my mother didn’t raise me that way,” Hill said. “I didn’t curse. I didn’t do anything like that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out, man.”

Despite the drama off the field, Hill shined on the field, catching seven passes for 130 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown that helped Miami to a 20-17 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hill celebrated the hit by mimicking being handcuffed.

Of his experience, Hill, who is black, said he didn’t want to use his celebrity to avoid the situation but wondered how it would have turned out if he wasn’t an NFL star. “I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets a little dicey when you do,” he said. “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? God knows what that guy or those guys would have done. I just made sure to do what my uncle always told me when I get into a situation like that: ‘Just listen, put your hands on the wheel and just listen.'”

Daniels said Sunday that she had requested an “immediate review” of the details of the incident and that the department would review available body camera footage. In a subsequent statement, Daniels emphasized her commitment to “transparency and accountability to the community in every situation involving my officers.”

Hill described how quick and unexpected the incident was. “I’m just glad my teammates were there to support me because I felt alone,” he added.

Campbell stated that he was driving into Hard Rock Stadium when he saw Hill in handcuffs and stopped to help him. The 17-year NFL veteran also ended up in handcuffs and stated that officers told him he disobeyed their direct orders. “I felt like excessive force was used, so I got out of the car to de-escalate the situation,” Campbell said, describing the incident as “a little extreme.”

Hill, who led the NFL in receiving yards in 2023, said he communicated with his wife and family after his arrest and before the game began.

His agent Drew Rosenhaus described the situation on ESPN as “heartbreaking.” “How things escalated to the point where they were in that situation, handcuffed and held on the ground by police, is beyond me,” Rosenhaus said. “It’s very concerning to me. Very disturbing. We’re going to look into it. We’re going to investigate. We’re going to look out for Tyreek, but I’m not going to make any accusations at this point. The most important thing is that Tyreek is physically fine, mentally he was very disturbed by what happened.”

NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league was in contact with the Dolphins but declined to comment further.