Miami-Dade cop in Tyreek Hill takedown cited non-existent law to cuff Dolphins player, video reveals

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The Miami-Dade police officer under internal investigation for his treatment of Tyreek Hill outside of Hard Rock Stadium cited a law that has not yet taken effect when he cuffed another player who came to Hill’s aid that day.

Hill was not the only Dolphins player to find himself in a tense interaction with police just hours before their season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 8. Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith came to support their teammate but were met with shouting and handcuffs.

READ MORE: Miami-Dade cop who cuffed Tyreek Hill had previous disciplinary issues, report says

The Miami Herald spoke to both players. Campbell said Miami-Dade Police Officer Danny Torres told him he had violated a law by not being 25 feet away from the officers when they conducted the traffic stop on Hill.

The Herald investigated the assertion because if it is true, Torres cited a law that does not exist — yet.

Did Miami-Dade cop cite non-existent law?

Shortly after Hill was handcuffed and forced to sit on a curb outside the Hard Rock Stadium, Campbell was watching from a few feet away and telling someone on the phone something “hostile” was going down, according to Torres’ body-worn camera footage.

Torres marched toward Campbell, standing on the sidewalk, demanding to know whose Tesla X was parked directly behind the officers’ motorcycles.

When Campbell confirmed it was his, Torres shouted:

“Move it, or you’re going to get a ticket, or I’m going to tow it,” he said. “I’m giving you an order to get out of here right now.”

Campbell told Torres to give him the ticket, but was still met with demands to move his car.

READ MORE: Tyreek Hill and officer who detained him may have both broken law, legal experts say

After a brief argument with Campbell’s passenger, who told Torres his energy was too high and tried to tell him who Hill was, he again approached Campbell.

He informed Campbell that he was blocking traffic and needed to move or get towed. This would mark the first legal reasoning given to Campbell, which is an enforceable law.

After several more shouted demands, Torres pulled out handcuffs and detained Campbell. He lugged him to the sidewalk and had him sit on the ground.

As Torres searched Campbell’s pockets for his ID, the player said he didn’t know he couldn’t stand in certain spots.

This was when Torres informed him, “Not only can you not stand [there], it’s 25 feet now.”

What he is referring to is a law that does not yet exist.

Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new bill that would create a 25-feet “no-go” zone around first responders after being verbally warned to step away.

This law goes into effect on January 1, 2025.

While Torres did not cite or mention any other law, the closest active Florida law to the 25-feet rule not yet in effect would be “obstructing justice.”

In the end, Campbell was un-handcuffed and allowed to leave without being issued a citation.

Campbell wasn’t the only one to hear that command, body camera footage showed. An unknown bystander was also ordered by Torres to move 25 feet and then 50 feet away because of “state law.”

Campbell ‘focusing on football’

Speaking at his locker last week, Campbell told the Herald he wouldn’t leave his friend.

“I told him I will stand where you want me to stand,” he said. “You tell me how far I need to back up, and I’ll back up, but I’m not leaving the scene. This is my friend here. I’m here to support him. I’m not leaving.”

He spoke to his general counsel about a potential lawsuit but said he has not decided whether to file one.

“We talked about a lawsuit, but I’m focusing on football,” he said. “A lot of people have recommended a lawsuit.”

Campbell said Miami-Dade police reached out to him to discuss the matter, but he hasn’t been able to call back.

Hill also has not confirmed whether a lawsuit will be filed, but his attorneys said they were mounting a legal effort in a “broad fight against national police misconduct.”

Jeffrey Nieman, one of those attorneys, said Torres should have been fired “well before this incident” because of six previous suspensions.

Smith reflects on ‘mishandled’ events

Smith, a tight end for the Dolphins, was confronted by Miami-Dade Police officer Manuel Batista when he pulled over to see how his teammate was doing. Batista demanded Smith move his car and leave the area, waving handcuffs and threatening to arrest the Dolphins tight end.

Ultimately, Smith was handed two traffic citations: a $129 fine for having an expired tag and a $179 fine for failing to obey a traffic control device.

READ MORE: Police name cop reassigned after Tyreek Hill handcuffed. Attorney wants him reinstated

Since then, Smith has spoken to friends in law enforcement and reflected on the events. Speaking to media members for the first time since officers’ body-cam footage was released weeks ago, he said he believes the situation was “mishandled.”

“First you look at yourself in the mirror and say, ‘What could I have done better?,’” he said. ”If everybody involved looked themselves in the mirror, we could all grow from this day.”

Smith said he has learned what to do next time in a situation like this.

“There were some things I learned [after talking] to friends in the police force,” he said. “Maybe next time ask to speak to a supervisor because I was getting two different commands. You have a guy who’s on a power trip saying he’s in charge.”

Regardless of what occurred, he still emphasized the importance of police in the community.

“Good officers are great for your community,” Smith said. “We need them. They deserve our respect. We deserve their respect as well. I’m not going to put everybody in that bucket because of a few bad apples. I believe in a lot more accountability based mindset.”

Smith is using what he experienced as an educational lesson for his kids.

“I am raising three African American boys,” he said. “The conversation in my household is a lot different than it may be in their household.”