MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill admitted some regrets about his actions during his pre-game detainment on Sunday but called for the officer who restrained him to be taken off the force.
"Gone. Gone. Gone. He gotta go, man," Hill said Wednesday in a news conference. "In that instance right there, not only did he treat me bad, he also treated my teammates with disrespect, you know? He had some crazy words towards them, and they didn’t even do nothing. Like, what did they do to you? They were just walking on the sidewalk."
Still, he expressed regret over his own actions, in particular his refusal to roll his window down when directed to do so by an officer.
"I will say I could have been better. I could have let down my window in that instance. But the thing about me is, I don’t want attention, I don't want to be – cameras out, phones on you, in that moment," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm human, I've got to follow rules, I've got to do what everyone else would do. Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not. But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently."
WATCH BELOW: Tyreek Hill calls for officer to be fired after actions during detainment
The comments come days after Hill was detained by police before the NFL team's first game of the season. Video of Hill's detention, as well as tense police interactions with two other Dolphins players at the scene, has led to a public back-and-forth between the NFL team and local police and has renewed the debate over how law enforcement handles traffic stops and interacts with members of the public.
Earlier Wednesday, Hill's attorney representing Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill called for the immediate firing of the officer at the center of Sunday's controversial traffic stop outside Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.
"Each action that a law enforcement official (takes) is governed by standard operating procedures," attorney Julius Collins said in a letter shared with CNN. "We are of the opinion that the officer's use of force was excessive, escalating, and reckless. We are demanding that the officer be terminated effective immediately."
In particular, Hill's attorney accused Miami-Dade Police Officer Danny Torres of at least twice putting his hands "on or around Mr. Hill's neck."
After Hill was pulled from his vehicle, the officer forcefully put Hill's face down on the pavement, placed his knee on Hill's back and put his hand around the back of Hill's neck, the attorney said.
WATCH BELOW: Body camera video of Tyreek Hill detainment released:
Second, while trying to get a handcuffed Hill to sit down on the sidewalk, the officer put his hands "on or around" Hill's neck and forced him to the ground, ignoring Hill's concerns that he had just had knee surgery, the attorney said.
Finally, the attorney connected Hill's detainment to broader concerns about how police interact with Black people.
"The events that occurred on Sunday, September 8, 2024, are just a reminder of the realities of the many injustices that people of Black and minority communities face at the hands of law enforcement. While we are in no way accusing the officer of being racist, we are accusing the customs and practices of law enforcement from a historical standpoint of being discriminatory and oppressive to black and minority communities," Collins wrote.
In an appearance on "The Dan Le Batard Show" on Tuesday, Hill's agent Drew Rosenhaus echoed Collins' sentiment, calling on the officers involved to be removed from their jobs.
Dolphins
Miami-Dade Police releases body cam footage of Tyreek Hill detainment Sunday
MDPD Director Stephanie V. Daniels said she initiated an internal investigation into the incident.
"I'm committed to transparency and accountability to the community with any situation involving my officers," Daniels said.
Torres, a 27-year-veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department, was placed on administrative duties after the incident, the department announced on Tuesday.
His attorneys called the decision to sideline him "premature" and called for him to be "immediately reinstated." Torres will not comment until after the investigation, attorneys Ignacio Alvarez and Israel Reyes said in a statement.
Dolphins
'Still shell-shocked': Tyreek Hill opens up about being detained before NFL game
The local police union has also defended the actions of the officers involved and accused Hill of being "uncooperative."
Hill was ultimately cited for careless driving and a seatbelt violation, according to police. The citations note his vehicle had a "visual estimation 60 mph."
Hill was released in time for the Dolphins' 1 p.m. game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The eight-time Pro Bowler then scored a stellar 80-yard touchdown — and celebrated by putting his hands behind his back with his wrists together in a cheeky nod to the pregame incident.
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