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Tyreek Hill ‘still trying’ to cope with pre-game police detention
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Tyreek Hill ‘still trying’ to cope with pre-game police detention

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Several Dolphins players were detained by Miami-Dade Police Department officers prior to Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, including All-Pro wide receiver Tyreek Hill.

Hill said he was pulled over for alleged speeding while driving to Hard Rock Stadium about three hours before the game started. He was eventually handcuffed after a “verbal altercation” occurred, sources told ESPN’s Jeff Darlington. Hill was cited for reckless driving, sources told Darlington.

He was released after a few minutes, but the incident was filmed by fans nearby and quickly went viral on social media. Hill said he did not know why the situation escalated so much.

“Right now I’m still trying to wrap my head around it all … 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?’ The worst case scenario, you know? … Everyone has bad apples in every situation, but I want to be able to use this platform to find a way to turn this around and make it positive for me and Miami-Dade and do something positive for the community.

“It’s tough. I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets a little questionable when you do. What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? God knows what those guys would have done. I just wanted to make sure I did what my uncle always told me to do when you’re in a situation like that: put your hands on the wheel and just listen.”

Hill said he has “no idea” why the officers placed the handcuffs on him; he said he was not disrespectful and that he did not use foul language 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 had 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 putting his hands behind his back as teammate Jaylen Waddle “held him down.”

At one point during the incident, video footage showed Hill handcuffed on the ground, surrounded by four officers.

Dolphins teammates Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith stopped to support Hill and de-escalate the situation, leading to Campbell’s arrest.

“Disobeying a direct order,” Campbell said when asked why officers told him he was being pulled over. “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 gave me a ticket for detaining and then releasing me.”

“It’s tough. I don’t want to bring race into it, but sometimes it gets a little questionable when you do. What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? God knows what those guys would have done.”

Tyreek Heuvel

Miami-Dade PD released a statement from Chief Stephanie V. Daniels, who launched an “immediate investigation into all details surrounding the incident.” Three hours later, Daniels announced that one of the officers involved “has been placed on administrative duties while the investigation is conducted.”

Hill was informed of the decision during his post-match press conference and agreed to the action.

“That should tell you all you need to know,” Hill said. “I’m just glad my teammates were there to support me in my situation, because I felt alone. When they showed up, it made me realize we have a f—ing good team this year, that they’re putting their lives on the line. It was awesome to see.”

Campbell also said it “makes sense” that the officer was given administrative duties and that “that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

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 the details when he spoke after the game, but he was pleased with the way his team pulled together to help a teammate.

“Especially for some of the guys that were involved — Calais Campbell and Jonnu, they were all pretty upset,” McDaniel said. “I think you try to prepare a team for the unknown. You definitely don’t predict exact situations. A lot of things fall under the veil of adversity and the common denominator is that there is a light at the end of the tunnel in any kind of adversity in life. You’re not necessarily prepared for that, but neither were our teammates that were in need. So we just do the best we can.”

The Dolphins defeated the Jaguars 20-17 after scoring 13 unanswered points in the second half.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.