Traffic citations issued to Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill after a September altercation with police have been dismissed due to the charging officers not attending a court hearing.
Hill’s tickets for careless driving and failing to wear a seat belt were dropped because the Miami-Dade Police officers did not show up for a Monday hearing. The citations were given to Hill when he was pulled over outside Hard Rock Stadium for allegedly speeding before the Dolphins’ season opener on 8 September. The situation escalated, leading to an officer pulling Hill from the car, forcing him to the ground, and handcuffing him.
In a social media post on X, Hill commented, “Where are all the internet cops now”.
The Miami-Dade Police explained that the officers’ absence was an oversight and that the matter will be dealt with administratively. The department stood by issuing the tickets to Hill, stating, “A citation dismissed for this reason does not indicate that the citation was unwarranted.”
Body camera footage from the incident shows an officer pulling Hill out of his car and forcing him onto the ground. Hill was handcuffed and restrained, while his teammate Calais Campbell, who tried to intervene, was also handcuffed by police.
After approximately 30 minutes, Hill was given the citations and allowed to enter the stadium. One officer was placed on administrative duty and an internal investigation was initiated, but no outcomes have been released.
Hill has expressed that the officer involved should be terminated.
“Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. Gone. He’s gotta go, man,” stated Hill. “In that moment, he not only mistreated me, but also disrespected my teammates. He used offensive language towards them when they did nothing wrong. Why target them? He must be removed.”
Despite this, Hill acknowledged that he could have handled the situation differently.
“I admit I could have reacted better,” Hill admitted. “I could have rolled down my window at that moment. But I prefer not to draw attention. I don’t want to be in the spotlight with people filming at that time. But ultimately, I’m human. I have to abide by the rules and act like everyone else would.”
Hill is a top NFL receiver who has been selected to the Pro Bowl every year since joining the league in 2016. He led the league in receiving yards last season with a career-high of 1,799 yards. He was part of the Super Bowl-winning Kansas City Chiefs in February 2020 before being traded to the Dolphins in March 2022. He signed a lucrative four-year, $120m contract extension, making him the highest-paid wide receiver in the NFL.
