One of the police officers involved in the detainment of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was placed on ‘administrative duties’ Sunday while the Miami-Dade Police Department investigates his actions.
Now, attorneys for the officer are arguing that such a move was ‘premature’ and requesting that their client be returned to his usual role.
‘We call for our client’s immediate reinstatement, and a complete, thorough, and objective investigation, as Director Daniels has also advocated,’ attorneys Ignacio Alvarez and Israel Reyes said in a news release Tuesday. ‘Our client will not comment until this investigation is concluded and the facts are fully revealed.’
The news release did not name or otherwise identify the officer who is being investigated, and a spokeperson for one of the law firms representing him, ALGO, declined to provide more information about the officer or provide a reason for his anonymity.
Spokespeople for the Miami-Dade Police Department did not immediately reply to questions about the officer and his attorneys’ request that he be reinstated.
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The department’s director, Stephanie Daniels, said in a statement Sunday that she had initiated an investigation into the officer through the department’s internal affairs office. She said she is ‘committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers.’
Sunday’s encounter between Hill and police caused a jarring scene just outside Hard Rock Stadium, hours before Hill and the Dolphins faced the Jacksonville Jaguars in their season-opener. And the officers’ actions have come under scrutiny − particularly their use of force during what otherwise appeared to be a routine traffic stop.
On Monday evening, Miami-Dade police released more than an hour of footage from body-worn cameras on the scene, which showed officers forcefully pulling Hill from his McLaren after he rolled up his window during the interaction. The officers removed him from the car, took him to the ground and handcuffed him for more than 15 minutes. He repeatedly complained about knee pain during the encounter.
Hill later acknowledged to officers that he had been speeding but criticized them for escalating the situation by pulling him out of his car and putting him in handcuffs. He was eventually allowed to leave the scene after being cited for careless driving and driving without a seatbelt.
‘They said I was speeding, reckless driving or whatever,’ Hill said in a news conference after racking up 130 receiving yards in Miami’s win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. ‘I wasn’t raised like that to name drop. If you said I did something, write me a ticket and do whatever you have to do. But don’t be disrespectful.’
Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on social media @Tom_Schad.
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