The violent arrest of the black star of the local American football club, Tyreek Hill, during a traffic stop in Miami on Sunday and the release of a video of the incident have sparked a new controversy over the role of the police in the United States.
“What would have happened if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?” asked the Miami Dolphins receiver, as the country is very often confronted with police violence against African-Americans, a problem that culminated in 2020 with the death of George Floyd, at the origin of a huge wave of protests.
The Dolphins called the incident “infuriating and heartbreaking” Monday night, and one of the officers involved was placed on administrative leave pending an internal investigation. But a police union said the player “did not immediately cooperate” during the stop, which warranted his being “handcuffed.”
The incident occurred during a traffic stop as Tyreek Hill was heading to Hard Rock Stadium to play his first game of the season against another Florida club, the Jacksonville Jaguars.
According to the footage, a 105-minute video from the officers’ body cameras and released by the Miami Police Department in the interest of “transparency,” tensions escalate when the player rolls up his window. The police motorcyclist repeatedly asks him to roll it down, and threatens to pull him out of his luxury sports car. Immediately afterward, the player is taken out by several officers, taken to the ground and handcuffed, with one officer holding his hand with his knee on the small of his back.
Tyreek Hill, who was with two other players, was quickly released after being issued traffic tickets. He was able to play his game Sunday, contributing to his team’s 20-17 victory with a touchdown that he celebrated by miming being handcuffed.
For the Miami Dolphins, the incident “is a reminder that not all situations like this end so peacefully.”
“‘What would have happened if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill’ is a question that will have a resounding impact,” the club added.