Additional Coverage:
- Officer in Tyreek Hill’s detainment had 6 suspensions and numerous reprimands, records show (nbcnews.com)
The Florida officer involved in the traffic stop and detainment of Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill has a troubling record, according to his employee profile. Officer Danny Torres of the Miami-Dade Police Department had been suspended six times before this incident and faced numerous complaints and written reprimands.
The Miami-Dade Police Department released Torres’ profile, showing he was suspended for a total of 50 days between 2014 and 2019. His first suspension was for five days in February 2014, followed by three more five-day suspensions in 2016, one in February and two in September.
In October 2018, he was suspended for 20 days and then for 10 days in June 2019. Additionally, Torres, a 27-year veteran, received four written reprimands from March 1999 to September 2020.
The profile does not detail the reasons behind these suspensions and reprimands, and the police department has not yet commented on the situation. Torres is currently on administrative duty pending an internal investigation into the September 8 incident with Hill. Miami-Dade County Chief of Public Safety James Reyes stated that the actions seen in the body camera footage were “deeply concerning” and do not meet the expected standards for law enforcement.
Hill believes Torres should be fired and told NBC News that he thinks he might have faced more severe consequences if he were not a famous football player. Torres’ profile indicates he was involved in several complaints, some of which were resolved, but eight allegations were sustained, including violations related to unbecoming conduct, improper use of force, and improper use of his body camera.
Despite these issues, Torres has also received commendations for his “skillful performance of duty,” “dedication to duty,” and “team work.” His latest commendation was in May 2023 for “professionalism” and “special awards and recognition.”
The records shed light on the history of an officer involved in an incident described by the Miami Dolphins as displaying “overly aggressive and violent conduct” toward players. The incident on September 8 stemmed from Hill’s detainment over allegations of careless driving and failure to wear a seat belt. Hill claims he removed his seat belt as he was being pulled over.
Body camera footage shows an officer knocking on the window of Hill’s car and questioning him about the seat belt. Hill responded by telling the officer not to knock on his window like that and later asked for a ticket before rolling the window back up. The situation escalated, resulting in Hill being forcibly removed from his car, placed face down on the pavement, and handcuffed.
Dolphins teammates Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith, who witnessed the incident, intervened, with Campbell getting handcuffed himself. He later described one of the officers as “extreme” on ESPN’s “First Take.”
Torres’ attorney, Ignacio Alvarez, called the decision to place the officer on leave “premature” and demanded his “immediate reinstatement” pending a thorough investigation. Alvarez declined to comment further.