Tyreek Hill’s Traffic Citations Dismissed After Officers Fail to Appear in Court
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Two traffic citations issued to Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill in September were dismissed Monday after the responding officers failed to appear at a court hearing. The case, which drew widespread attention due to allegations of excessive force, ended without resolution as to the officers’ conduct.
Hill was stopped by Miami-Dade police outside Hard Rock Stadium on September 8, hours before the Dolphins’ season opener, and cited for careless driving and failure to wear a seat belt. The incident escalated when Officer Danny Torres forcibly removed Hill from his vehicle and placed him in handcuffs, an action captured on body camera footage. Torres’ handling of the situation prompted an internal affairs investigation and led to his reassignment to administrative duties.
Dismissal Sparks Criticism
Hill’s legal team, comprised of attorneys Devon Jacob, Stephen Kelly, Jeffrey Neiman, and Julius Collins, issued a statement calling the officers’ absence a tacit admission of misconduct.
“Police officers should not issue citations unless they are willing to testify in court, under oath, with respect to same,” the attorneys said. “Officer Torres and Batista’s absence from court evidences their knowledge of wrongdoing. Mr. Hill was entitled to his day in court, and the officers’ failure to appear undermines the integrity of the process.”
The Miami-Dade Police Department stated it would provide a comment later in the week.
Hill Reflects on the Incident
In a post on social media platform X, Hill mocked his critics, writing, “Where all the internet cops now.” Despite the dismissal, Hill has acknowledged his own role in the confrontation. During the initial stop, Hill complied with Officer Batista’s request to lower his window but raised it again after asking the officer to issue a ticket and move on.
Hill previously expressed regret about the incident but also called for Torres’ dismissal, citing the use of unnecessary force.
Support and Escalation at the Scene
Teammates Jonnu Smith and Calais Campbell intervened during the altercation in an effort to de-escalate the situation. Smith received a citation, while Campbell was briefly detained and later released without charges.
Ongoing Scrutiny
This incident adds to a series of off-field controversies involving Hill since joining the Dolphins in 2022. Earlier this year, Hill was involved in a physical altercation with a marina employee and faces a lawsuit alleging he caused injuries to a social media influencer.
Despite these challenges, Hill and Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel have emphasized the wide receiver’s personal growth. Hill, 30, has highlighted his focus on family and maturity in recent years.
“I now see how important it is to be a father, be a husband, be a son, and just be that family man my grandparents raised me to be,” Hill said in September. “I’m slowing my life down… I’m handling myself with a lot of dignity now in a lot of respects.”
Wrap Up
While Hill’s traffic citations have been dismissed, questions remain about the conduct of the officers involved. The outcome of the internal affairs investigation into Officer Torres’ actions could have implications for both Hill and the Miami-Dade Police Department.
