Officer on leave following incident with Tyreek Hill, who says he doesn’t know why he was detained

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said he doesn’t know why he was detained and forcibly restrained by police before Sunday’s season opener in an incident that left him wondering, “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?”

Hill said officers told him he was speeding and driving recklessly. He didn’t tell them who he was while he was handcuffed and face down outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, about three hours before kickoff. Fans driving down the same street recorded a video that quickly went viral before the game.

“They said I was speeding or driving recklessly or something like that,” Hill said. “I wasn’t raised to throw names. If you said I did something, write me a ticket and do whatever you have to do. But don’t be disrespectful.”

Hill said he was driving to work, “thinking about driving 150 yards” before he was pulled over and detained. The matter was resolved when Hill was allowed to freely join his teammates in the stadium and participate in the game.

“It happened so quickly,” Hill said. “It took me by surprise.”

Hill had 130 yards receiving, including an 80-yard touchdown catch, while kicker Jason Sanders kicked the game-winning field goal as the Dolphins beat the Jacksonville Jaguars 20–17.

Hill even celebrated his touchdown by putting his hands behind his back while teammate and fellow receiver Jaylen Waddle grabbed Hill’s hands together in the end zone.

“We had something else planned,” Hill said, “and it all happened this morning.”

The Miami-Dade Police Department opened an internal investigation into Hill’s incident and announced that the officer had been placed on administrative duties shortly after the Dolphins’ season-opening victory.

“That should tell you all you need to know,” Hill said of learning about officer discipline.

“I am committed to transparency and accountability to the public in any situation involving my officers,” MDPD Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in a statement on social media. Daniels also demanded an immediate review of the incident, including body camera footage, in an earlier statement after the game had already begun.

Hill, who says he wants to be a police officer one day, said he wants to work with police in the future to turn the pregame incident into a positive.

“I want to use this platform to say, what if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Worst case scenario. This is crazy. One day I want to become a police officer. I have a state trooper hat and I have a lot of respect for police officers,” Hill said.

“Obviously, in every situation, everyone has bad apples. I want to be able to use this platform to find a way to turn this around and make it positive on both sides, my side and Miami-Dade, so we can get something done. positive for society.”

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Hill, a nine-year veteran who won a Super Bowl with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2020, agreed last month to a contract extension with Miami worth $90 million over the next three seasons with $65 million guaranteed.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tyreek Hill detained: What Dolphins WR said about police incident