Tyreek Hill Lawyers Up, Will 'Explore Legal Remedies' Related To Police Incident
Tyreek Hill initially said he wanted to use his platform and work with the Miami-Dade Police Department to the benefit of the force, himself and the community following his forceful detainment before Sunday's Dolphins game.
And he may still want to do that, but he's also contemplating every legal avenue available to him – perhaps even suing the department.
Hill has retained the Atlanta, GA., law firm of Julius B. Collins, P.C. to represent him in this matter.
Statement: Parties Fortunate To Walk Away
And Collins, in a statement on behalf of Hill sent to OutKick on Monday afternoon, promised the wide receiver's legal team "is exploring all legal remedies that may be available to Mr. Hill as we believe that the officers’ actions on September 8, 2024 were excessive."
Hill mentioned how teammates risked "their lives" by intervening on his behalf during the traffic stop just outside the property where Hard Rock Stadium sits in Miami Gardens.
Well, that wasn't a slip of the tongue.
"It is not lost upon him how so many others in similar situations have met a different fate and how fortunate all parties involved were able to walk away from this matter," the statement reads.
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 08: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins celebrates after his team's 20-17 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Hill Says Officer Used F-Bomb
The scene the statement then describes seems like a battle of wills in which perhaps too much testosterone took over when Hill was stopped for allegedly speeding. Officers requested he roll down his window and provide his driver's license and Hill apparently did this then rolled his window back up afterward:
"To be clear, the traffic-stop of Mr. Hill by officers of the Miami Dade Police Department originated as a traffic infraction but was then escalated after Mr. Hill provided officers his driver’s license and then rolled his window back up," the statement reads.
"One of the officers then knocked on Mr. Hill’s driver side window and advised Mr. Hill to keep his window rolled down otherwise he was going to get him out of the car. Mr. Hill had his window rolled down and that officer then demanded Mr. Hill out of the vehicle even after Mr. Hill complied with that officer’s request to keep his window down.
"Immediately after, another officer then aggressively approached Mr. Hill’s vehicle and stated something to the effect that "if we have to break that f*****g window we will." Mr. Hill rolled down his window each time he was requested to do so by the requesting officers."
MIAMI GARDENS, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 08: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins catches a touchdown pass during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on September 08, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
Hill: Cops Were ‘Overzealous’
Too late for the officers' liking. The police, four in all, proceeded to get Hill out of his car, put him on the asphalt roadway face down. They grabbed his arms, placed them behind his back and handcuffed Hill.
The scene was captured on video y countless motorists and others passing by. More importantly, the officers were wearing body cameras and that video will almost definitely be reviewed in the internal investigation the police department is currently conducting.
"We believe that this matter was escalated due to overzealous officers attempting to impose their authority on Mr. Hill because they were not pleased with how fast he complied with their request and that Mr. Hill did not roll down his window far enough to their liking," the statement further reads.
One of the officers involved is off the streets and performing administrative duties during the MDPD's investigation.
There is no known timetable for a conclusion to the investigation or a decision from Hill on next steps.