Additional Coverage:
- Tyreek Hill wants police officer who was placed on “administrative duties” to be fired (nbcsports.com)
On Tuesday, Drew Rosenhaus, the agent for Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, stated that the police officers involved in Hill’s forceful detainment should be dismissed. Rosenhaus clarified that this was his personal opinion and not Hill’s stance.
Since then, Tyreek Hill has made his position known.
On Tuesday night, Hill’s lawyer, Julius Collins, released a statement demanding the officer, who has now been assigned to administrative duties, be fired.
“Every action taken by a law enforcement official is guided by standard operating procedures,” the statement read, as reported by ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “We believe the officer’s use of force was excessive, escalatory, and reckless. We are calling for the immediate termination of the officer…
“The incidents on Sunday, September 8, 2024, highlight the continued injustices faced by individuals from Black and minority communities at the hands of law enforcement. While we do not accuse the officer of being racist, we argue that the historical customs and practices of law enforcement are discriminatory and oppressive toward Black and minority communities. We cannot shy away from this reality just because it’s a difficult topic to address.”
The police union has claimed that Hill was “uncooperative” during the traffic stop. Although bodycam footage suggests that Hill could have been more compliant, the officer’s response appeared to be excessive.
In our perspective, it seemed more about punishing Hill for not immediately and fully cooperating, rather than securing his compliance. It resembled old-fashioned corporal punishment. Interactions with police should not be a pass-fail test that results in physical punishment if the response isn’t perfectly respectful.
Hill has not dismissed the possibility of taking legal action. Litigation is often an effective way to uncover the full truth behind incidents like this.
While the bodycam footage provides some clarity, many questions remain unanswered. A lawsuit could potentially address all these questions and serve as a warning to police departments nationwide about the consequences of treating individuals stopped for traffic violations in such a harsh manner.