The Dolphins called for punishment for the officers involved in the detention of star receiver Tyreek Hill during a traffic stop Sunday.
The Miami-Dade Police Department released bodycam footage of the confrontation that led to officers placing Hill in handcuffs and detaining him.
Hill, who received citations for careless driving and a seatbelt violation before being released, gave his version of events to NBC News on Monday in his first interview about the events near the stadium Sunday. Hill said the incident “went from 0 to 60” and believes things could have turned out far worse if he wasn’t who he is.
The Dolphins released a statement Monday night, hours after an emotional coach Mike McDaniel had strong comments during his media availability.
“We are saddened by the overly aggressive and violent conduct direct towards Tyreek Hill, Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith by police officers before yesterday’s game,” the team said in its statement. “It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players, yet it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends in peace, as we are grateful this one did. ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will carry with resounding impact.
“We are proud to have a strong and positive relationship with the Miami-Dade Police Department and other law enforcement agencies and recognize that the vast majority of officers do serve the community with the utmost character and desire to protect all citizens. However, as is on full display in the videos released tonight, there are some officers who mistake their responsibility and commitment to serve with misguided power. While we commend MDPD for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release this footage, we also urge them to take equally swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior.
“We will stand beside Tyreek and our players as they work to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community. We have always believed that the game of football holds a unique power to bring people together, and we remain hopeful that through the collective work of the players, organization and our community partners, we can create lasting change.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department put at least one officer on administrative duty while an internal affairs investigation is conducted.