Police Union Claims Tyreek Hill Was Not 'Immediately Cooperative' During Stop

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The president of South Florida’s police union said Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill was handcuffed and placed face down on the ground during a traffic stop because he was not “immediately cooperative” with officers, but Hill said he was respectful throughout the interaction.

Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, said Hill was “redirected” to the ground after refusing to sit when he was briefly detained outside the Dolphins’ home stadium in an incident that resulted in one officer being immediately placed on administrative leave amid an internal investigation.

Julius B. Collins, Hill’s attorney, said the receiver’s legal team is exploring all legal options and called the officers’ actions “excessive.”

Passing fans and some teammates saw Hill in handcuffs on the side of the road with at least three officers around him following the stop that quickly went viral just hours before the Dolphins kicked off their season Sunday.

“I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way,” Hill said. “Didn’t cuss. Didn’t do none of that. So like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out, man.”

Collins, in a statement released Monday afternoon, said the traffic stop escalated when Hill gave officers his license and rolled his window back up.

“One of the officers then knocked on Mr. Hill’s driver side window and advised Mr. Hill to keep his window rolled down otherwise he was going to get him out of the car,” Collins said, adding that Hill rolled his window down each time he was asked to.

In his statement released earlier Sunday, Stahl said officers followed policy in handcuffing Hill.

“At no time was he ever under arrest,” Stahl said. “He was briefly