Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill spoke to local press Wednesday following a weekend traffic stop that ended with Hill down on the ground, cuffed, with an officer's knee pressed to his back.
Hill reflected on what he could have done differently when he was pulled over for speeding just a few hours before the Dolphins' season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. When an officer approached his window, Hill failed to roll the window down immediately.
"I will say I could have been better. I could have let my window down in that instant," Hill told the press Wednesday.
Hill continued, "But the thing about me is, I don't want attention. I don't want to be cameras-out, phones-on-you in that moment. But at the end of the day, I'm human. I've got to follow rules. I've got to do what everyone else would do."
"Now does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not," he said. "But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.
During the traffic stop on Sunday Sept. 8, Miami Dade Police Officer Danny Torres reacted to Hill's delayed compliance by pulling him out of the car and forcing him to the pavement face down, kneeling on Hill's back as he was handcuffed.
Shortly after, Hill was asked by another officer to sit down. As Hill explains he just had knee surgery, Torres approaches from behind, shouting as he shoves Hill to the ground.
That afternoon, Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels launched an internal affairs investigation and transferred Officer Torres to administrative duties.
Police body cam footage was released Monday night. Tuesday evening, Hill released a statement through his lawyer, Julius Collins. The statement called for Torres' immediate termination from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
The 27-year police veteran's requests to be immediately reinstated to duty have not been granted.
When a member of the press brought up Torres in Wednesday's briefing, Hill said he believed the officer should be, "Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. He's gotta go, man." Hill elaborated, "In that instant right there, not only did he treat me bad, but he also treated my teammates with disrespect. He had some crazy words towards them and they didn't even do nothing. Like, what did they do to you? They're just walking on the sidewalk. He's got to go, man."
Hill's teammate Calais Campbell drove by the scene and stopped in hopes of calming the situation but ended up handcuffed as well. Jonnu Smith was also on the scene, appearing in bodycam footage as Torres approaches him aggressively after forcing a handcuffed Hill to sit down.
Hill hopes both civilians and law enforcement can learn from the bodycam footage, the way football players use game film to improve.
"It's shell-shocking, man," Hill said. "It's really crazy to know that you have officers in this world that would literally do that with bodycams on. It's sad. It's really sad. Which brings up another conversation and leads into 'What would they do if they didn't have bodycams?,' which is even crazier."
Hill claimed that Torres' legal representation contacted him and his lawyer to apologize, but their offer was declined.
Despite his position on Torres, Hill clarified that he wouldn't be taking a knee and doesn't want to "defund the police." He plans to use Thursday night's game against the Buffalo Bills as therapy and has reiterated his respect for law enforcement throughout the week.
"Right now, what I'm focused on is my job and that's to play football," Hill said. "That's all I can be, the best football player I can be."
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