Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill joins fight for police reform after detainment
Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill, who was detained by police before a NFL game earlier this month, has hired three lawyers, including a former federal prosecutor and a civil rights attorney who worked several high-profile cases including George Floyd’s, to assist in his legal battle against the Miami-Dade Police Department.
“Miami Dolphins’ superstar Tyreek Hill said that he will speak for all people in a broad fight against national police misconduct,” a statement by Hill’s lawyer, Julius B. Collins of Atlanta, released to USA TODAY Sports said Monday.
“Hill is adamant that his legal team will ensure that the voices of people who have long been ignored or silenced on the issue of police reform will finally be heard.”
Hill has hired former federal prosecutor, Jeffrey A. Neiman (based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida), Stephen B. Kelly, Jr. of Jacksonville’s Rolle & Kelly (Jacksonville, Florida) and well-known civil rights attorney Devon M. Jacob (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania), who has served as counsel in many high-profile civil rights cases nationally, including Floyd, Kodak Black (Bill Kapri), Hunter Brittain, Pamela Turner, Christian Hall, Emantic “EJ”Bradford, and Eboni Pouncy.
The Miami-Dade Police Department announced officer Danny Torres was placed on administrative duties following the Sept. 8 incident, where police body-camera footage showed Hill was forcibly removed from his vehicle and placed in handcuffs. Torres was suspended six times in 28 years with the department, according to personnel records obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
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“It is already clear that well before this incident, Miami-Dade County should have fired Officer Torres. Instead, the County repeatedly returned Officer Torres to the street permitting him to use his police authority to terrorize people,” Neiman said.
“Had officers not realized that they were interacting with Tyreek Hill – a well-known, beloved, educated, and seemingly wealthy black man – this traffic stop would likely have ended with the driver in jail, in the hospital, or like George Floyd, dead,” Collins added.
“Tyreek intends to continue the national movement for necessary police reform that George Floyd’s death started,” Jacob said. “Tyreek is demanding that Congress finally pass the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.’
Hill was traveling at an estimated speed of 60 mph, according to police. He was cited for careless driving and a seatbelt violation, and has an Oct. 11 court date for both traffic tickets. Hill is not required to appear, and will be represented by Miami-based attorney Adam Goodman in the traffic case.
The attorneys for Torres, Ignacio Alvarez and Israel Reyes, called for Torres to be immediately reinstated in a Sept. 11 news release.