Miami (AFP) – Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill said Wednesday he “could have been better” when he was pulled over for speeding but still wants the police officer who pulled him from his car fired.
“I will say I could have been better,” Hill told reporters three days after he was stopped, pulled from his car, bundled to the ground, and handcuffed. The situation escalated rapidly after Hill, who was told to roll down his window, rolled it back up after handing over his license.
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“I could have let down my window in that instant,” Hill said. “But the thing about me is, man, I don’t want attention. I don’t want (there) to be cameras out, phones on you in that moment — but at the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve got to follow rules. I got to do what everyone else would do. Now does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department said Monday that it would conduct “a thorough, objective investigation” into the incident, in which Hill received two traffic citations and was released, going on to star in Miami’s NFL victory over Jacksonville on Sunday. The police union representing officers involved accused Hill of being “uncooperative”.
Officer Danny Torres, who pulled Hill from his car and handcuffed him when he was face-down on the pavement, has been placed in “administrative duties” as the investigation continues, Miami-Dade Police said Tuesday. Hill repeated his belief that Torres should be fired, not only for his treatment of him but also for handcuffing teammate Calais Campbell, who had stopped when he saw the incident unfolding.
“He’s got to go, man,” Hill said of Torres. “Because in that instant right there, not only did he treat me bad, you know what I’m saying? He also treated my teammates with disrespect. He had some crazy words towards them, and they ain’t even do nothing. What did they do to you? They just walking on the sidewalk.”
The Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills on Thursday, and Hill was looking forward to getting back on the field. “Right now, what I’m focused on is my job and that’s to play football,” Hill said. “That’s all I can be, the best football player I can be.”
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