Hours after Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed by police outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Sunday, the five-time All-Pro celebrated an 80-yard touchdown reception by putting his arms behind his back with his wrists together as if he were handcuffed.
In a video of the pregame incident a block from the stadium, Hill is seen handcuffed and lying face down with three police officers standing around him. One of the officers picked him up from the street.
Hill said that after the Dolphins' season-opening 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was pulled over for allegedly speeding while driving to the stadium. He was placed in handcuffs after a “verbal altercation and cited for reckless driving,” people with knowledge of the incident told ESPN's Jeff Darlington.
After the game, Hill told reporters he did not disrespect the officials and did not use profanity.
“Right now, I’m still trying to piece it all together… I still don’t know what happened,” Hill said. “But I want to use this platform to say, ‘What would have happened if it wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ Worst case scenario, you know?”
“It’s tough. I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets a little iffy when you do. What if it wasn’t Tyreek Hill? God knows what those guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I was doing what my uncle always told me to do when I was in a situation like that: put my hands on the wheel and just listen.”
Dolphins fans show their support for wide receiver Tyreek Hill during Sunday's NFL opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Miami.
(Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press)
Miami-Dade Police Department Chief Stephanie V. Daniels said an investigation into the incident was underway and one of the officers involved had been placed on administrative duty.
“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I have initiated an Internal Affairs investigation to ensure a thorough review of the matter. One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed on administrative duty while the investigation is conducted,” Daniels said in a statement. “I am committed to transparency and accountability to the community in any situation involving my officers.”
The incident didn't affect Hill's performance. He had five receptions for a game-high 130 yards, including the longest 80-yard touchdown of his career. After scoring, Hill celebrated by placing his hands behind his back while teammate Jaylen Waddle pretended to handcuff him.
Hill, 30, has long been recognized as one of the NFL's elite receivers. He has been selected to the Pro Bowl in each of his eight seasons, won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs and, last season, led the league with 1,799 receiving yards and 13 receiving touchdowns.
Considered the fastest player in the NFL, Hill was recently in the news for playfully challenging sprinter and Olympic gold medalist Noah Lyles to a race.
Sunday’s incident was no laughing matter for the Dolphins. Several players stopped their cars and offered support to Hill as he was being detained by police, and defensive tackle Calais Campbell told NFL Network that he was also placed in handcuffs when he tried to “de-escalate” the situation.
“I was also put in handcuffs and I was like, ‘What’s going on? ’ I didn’t understand what the problem was,” Campbell said. “When he put the handcuffs on me, I felt something like that.
“But that shows our resilience. We didn’t let that stop us. We just got back on track, refocused and went out and played a good game of football. But that was definitely an interesting way to start a game.”
Hill said he planned to use the experience to improve the relationship between police and the community.
“I want to be able to use this platform to find a way to turn this situation around,” she said, “and turn it into something positive for myself and for Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.”
