Traffic citations issued against Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill have been dropped after the charging officer did not attend a court hearing.
Hill was put in handcuffs after being pulled over by police outside Hard Rock Stadium for allegedly speeding while driving on the way to Miami’s kickoff-week game against the Jacksonville Jaguars on September 8.
Police bodycam footage displayed Hill lying face down on the road, with the receiver since calling for the officer in question – who can be seen kneeling on the back of the NFL star – to be fired.
One officer was placed on administrative duties and an internal affairs investigation was launched following the incident.
“Where all the internet cops now,” Hill posted on X.
Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill was detained by police for a traffic incident ahead of their NFL season opener
Citations for careless driving and not wearing a seatbelt have now been dismissed as the officer responsible for writing the ticket failed to appear in court on Monday due to an “oversight on his behalf”, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
“A citation dismissed due to this reason does not indicate that the citation held no merit,” said a police statement, which added that the the citations were “non-criminal”.
The incident had escalated when Hill repeatedly told the officer, “Don’t knock on my window like that”, before rolling the window of his car back up.
A verbal exchange followed before Hill was pulled from the car and forced face down on the ground, at which point Hill did not resist their physical force or strike them.
Miami-Dade Police Department revealed bodycam footage of the moment they detained the Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill, just hours before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Warning: Distressing images.
“As anticipated, the traffic citations against Tyreek Hill were dismissed,” Hill’s attorney, Julius Collins, said in a statement. “Police officers should not issue citations unless they are willing to testify in court, under oath, with respect to the same.”
Hill was eventually lifted to his feet before then being forced into a sitting position on the curb.
Hill’s Dolphins team-mates Jonnu Smith and Calais Campbell had arrived at the scene in an effort to calm the situation, with Smith cited and Campbell detained before being released without a citation.
Hill went on to make seven catches for 130 yards and an 80-yard touchdown against the Jaguars, celebrating his score with a handcuff gesture in the end zone.