MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Multiple Dolphins players were detained by Miami-Dade Police Department officers before Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, including All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill.
Hill said he was pulled over for allegedly speeding while driving to Hard Rock Stadium, roughly three hours before the game kicked off. He was ultimately placed in handcuffs after a “verbal altercation” occurred, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. Hill was cited for reckless driving, sources told Darlington.
He was released after several minutes but the incident was filmed by nearby fans and quickly went viral on social media. Hill said he didn’t know why the situation escalated the way it did.
“Right now, I’m still trying to put it all together … I still don’t know what happened,” he said after the game. “But I do want to use this platform to say, ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ Worst-case scenario, you know? … Everybody has bad apples in every situation, but I want to be able to use this platform to figure out a way to flip this and make it a positive on my end and Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.
“It’s hard. I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets kind of iffy when you do. What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Lord knows what those guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I was doing what my uncle always told me to do whenever you’re in a situation like that — put your hands on the steering wheel and just listen.”
Hill said he has “no idea” why officers placed him in handcuffs; he said he was not disrespectful and did not use profanity toward the officers.
Dolphins offensive lineman Terron Armstead said Hill was “pretty upset, but ready to play” when he entered the locker room before the game. Hill recorded a game-high 130 receiving yards against the Jaguars, including an 80-yard touchdown — the longest of his career. After the play, Hill celebrated by placing his hands behind his back while teammate Jaylen Waddle “detained” him.
At one point during the incident, videos showed Hill laying on the ground, handcuffed, with four officers around him.
Dolphins teammates Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith stopped to offer support for Hill and deescalate the situation, leading to Campbell’s detainment, as well.
“Disobeying a direct order,” Campbell said when asked why officers told him he was being detained. “He said I was too close to the scene and then I think he said something about me not moving my car in time, I don’t know … He told me I wasn’t being arrested but he cited me for being detained and then released.”
Miami-Dade PD released a statement from Director Stephanie V. Daniels, who initiated an “immediate review of all details surrounding the incident.” Three hours later, Daniels announced that one of the officers involved was “placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted.”
Hill was informed of the decision during his news conference after the game and agreed with the action.
“That should tell you everything you need to know, then,” Hill said. “I’m just glad that my teammates were there to support me in my situation because I felt alone. When they showed up, it made me realize that we have a f—ing good team this year, for them to put their life on the line. It was amazing to see.”
Campbell also said it “makes sense” the officer was placed on administrative duties and that’s “the way it should go.”
NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said the league has been in contact with the Dolphins but declined to comment further.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said he didn’t know all of the details when he spoke after the game, but he was happy with how his team came together to help out a teammate.
“Especially for some of the guys involved — Calais Campbell and Jonnu, they were all pretty rattled,” McDaniel said. “I think you try to prepare a team to handle the unknown. You definitely aren’t forecasting exact situations. A lot of things fall under the veil of adversity and the one common denominator is that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel in any sort of life adversity. You’re not necessarily prepared for that, but neither were our teammates that were in need. So, we just do our best.”
The Dolphins beat the Jaguars 20-17 after scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.