Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill could sue Miami-Dade County following his detainment on Sunday before his team’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
A body camera video released Monday showed an officer dragging Hill out of his car, a McLaren, after he was pulled over for suspected careless driving and failing to wear a seatbelt as required by Florida law. Hill was not arrested, and officers can lawfully detain a person when they have reasonable suspicion to believe the person may have violated the law.
The video shows officers on motorcycles interacting with Hill, who rolled his tinted window down after a knock by an officer. Hill then handed over his driver’s license. The officer asked Hill why he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and Hill responded, “Don’t knock on my window like that.” The officer said he had to knock in order to let Hill know he was there and again asked about the seatbelt. Hill replied, “just give me my ticket bro” and rolled the window back up.
The window rolling prompted the officer to loudly tell Hill, “Keep your window down,” which was followed by Hill rolling his window back down slightly while apparently saying ‘Don’t tell me what to do.” Hill then rolled the window back up, which led the officer to knock on the window once again.
The window rolling up-and-down sparked a confrontation wherein multiple officers ordered Hill to “get out of the car.”
After not immediately getting out, Hill was pulled out by his arm and head and forced face-first to the ground, with an officer’s knee on his back. It doesn’t appear that Hill threatened or made any defensive move against the officers. Hill insists he hasn’t done anything wrong, but one officer says, “when we tell you to do something, you do it!” and “too late, too late!” Hill was handcuffed and pulled up from the ground. He kept asking the officers, “Why you beating on my window like you are all crazy?”
The detainment continued as Hill stood at the curb, which led an officer to order him to sit on the curb. Hill, who was handcuffed, resisted saying he “just had surgery on my knee,” which was followed by another officer physically forcing him to sit.
After about five minutes, during which teammate Jonnu Smith arrived and, on his cell phone, could be heard saying “they’ve got Tyreek, the cops are over here beating on him, man.” Hill told Smith to “call Drew,” in reference to Dolphins’ director of security, Drew Brooks.
After about five minutes, Hill was uncuffed and released. He reportedly received citations for careless driving and failing to wear a seatbelt. Hill played for the Dolphins in their 20-17 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He led Miami with seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown.
In an interview with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Hill said he rolled his window up not to incite or disrespect the officers but to prevent other drivers and pedestrians from recognizing him and thus drawing more attention to the situation.
“They’re going to start taking pictures … I didn’t want to create a scene.” He said he “wanted to get the ticket and then go on about my way.”
Hill has also said the incident could have turned out much worse if he wasn’t a famous football player but instead an ordinary black man.
“If I wasn’t Tyreek Hill, worst-case scenario, we would have had a different article—‘Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium.’ That’s worst-case scenario. Or ‘Tyreek Hill put in handcuffs and taken in and booked.’”
The Dolphins issued a statement in support of Hill, saying the officers used “unnecessary force” and engaged in “overly aggressive” and “violent conduct.” The team added it hopes the Miami-Dade Police Department takes “strong and swift” action against the officers who “engaged in such despicable behavior.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department has placed one of the officers on administrative leave and launched an internal investigation. Administrative leave separates the officer from their duties while they’re under investigation, though the officer continues to be paid and receive other employment benefits.
The South Florida Police Benevolent Association, which is the union for the officers, strongly defended the officers’ conduct. The union described Hill as “uncooperative” and refusing officers’ orders. “He was briefly detained for officer safety, after driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others in great danger,” the statement said.
It remains to be seen if Hill will pursue the matter further. While the officers made physical contact with Hill and forced him out of a car and onto the ground and later onto a curb, it does not appear Hill sustained injuries. In fact, he starred in an NFL game later that day. On the other hand, some physical injuries are not immediately apparent and, regardless, the experience might have inflicted emotional distress.
If Hill believes his federal civil rights were violated, he could sue the officers in a Section 1983 lawsuit, which refers to claims raised through 42 U.S.C. § 1983. This statute enables people who believe officers of the government have unlawfully deprived them of rights to sue them. Applicable rights include Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable search and seizures and Fourteenth Amendment protections against deprivations of due process. Hill could also explore potential claims under Florida law.
Hill could argue the police used excessive force and overreacted, possibly on account of Hill’s race. But the officers would raise defenses. They could insist they acted reasonably in light of the circumstances, with Hill failing to comply with officers’ orders. The officers might also maintain that a detained driver rolling up tinted windows is problematic. It prevents them from seeing what the driver is doing with their arms and feet and what they might be reaching for.
