Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Miami Herald
‘Excessive, escalating and reckless’: Tyreek Hill’s lawyer calls for officer’s firing
By Grethel Aguila,
13 hours ago
The attorney representing Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill called for the firing of the officer reassigned after the NFL standout was handcuffed, grabbed by the neck and pinned down with a knee outside Hard Rock Stadium — a few hours before the season-opener Sunday.
“We are of the opinion that the officer’s use of force was excessive, escalating and reckless,” Hill’s attorney Julius Collins said in a statement Wednesday. “We are demanding that the officer be terminated effective immediately.”
Miami-Dade police identified the officer as Danny Torres, a 27-year veteran of the department. Torres was placed on administrative duty after he and three other officers were involved in pulling Hill over for what they cited as speeding.
The traffic stop escalated and was caught on cellphone footage shot by passing drivers near Hard Rock on Sunday morning ahead of the Dolphins’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Miami-Dade Police on Tuesday identified Danny Torres as the officer placed on administrative duty after Miami Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill was pulled over for a speeding ticket and was handcuffed, grabbed by the neck and pinned down with a knee by police. Torres, left, in this photo capture of Miami-Dade Police body-camera footage, is seen wrapping his arm around Hill’s neck to bring him to the ground outside Hard Rock Stadium, Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024. Miami-Dade County Police Departm
Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels placed Torres on paid administrative duty after reviewing the body-camera footage. Daniels vowed to investigate how the stop escalated between officers and the All-Pro wideout.
Torres earned about $171,000 as a county police officer last year, including $39,000 from overtime pay, according to a county database.
Torres’ attorneys Ignacio Alvarez and Israel Reyes demanded “a complete, thorough, and objective investigation” on Tuesday, requesting that the officer be immediately reinstated.
‘Many injustices’
According to Collins, Hill was yanked out of his black McLaren 720S by Torres, who later placed his knee in Hill’s back and his hand around Hill’s neck. Moments later, Torres grabbed Hill from behind and shoved him to the pavement.
Miami-Dade police officers pin Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill to the ground in this photo captured from the Miami-Dade police body camera footage of its officers’ controversial Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, traffic stop of Hill near Hard Rock Stadium. Miami-Dade County Police Department
In the statement, Collins said that the Dolphins star’s treatment was “a reminder of the realities of the many injustices that people of black and minority communities face at the hands of law enforcement.”
“We cannot ignore this fact and remain silent on the issue just because it’s a tough conversation,” Collins said. “Mr. Hill is committed to furthering the conversation and being active in promoting change in community and police relations.”
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency:
Our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. As a platform hosting over 100,000 pieces of content published daily, we cannot pre-vet content, but we strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation.
Comments / 0