Dolphins Issue Strong Response to Body-Cam Footage of Tyreek Hill

With the Miami-Dade Police Department continuing to investigate why Tyreek Hill was forcibly removed from his vehicle, forced to the ground and handcuffed during a traffic stop before Miami's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, body-cam footage of the ugly incident has been released.

Uncomfortable to watch, the footage shows how Hill ended up outside his McLaren sports car in handcuffs on the ground outside of Hard Rock Stadium with traffic continuing to flow past. The video also leads to the question: Why?

"It is both maddening and heartbreaking to watch the very people we trust to protect our community use such unnecessary force and hostility towards these players, yet it is also a reminder that not every situation like this ends in peace, as we are grateful this one did. ‘What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ is a question that will carry with resounding impact," per the statement.

It continues: "We are proud to have a strong and positive relationship with the Miami-Dade Police Department and other law enforcement agencies and recognize that the vast majority of officers do serve the community with the utmost character and desire to protect all citizens. However, as is on full display in the videos released tonight, there are some officers who mistake their responsibility and commitment to serve with misguided power. While we commend MDPD for taking the right and necessary action to quickly release this footage, we also urge them to take equally swift and strong action against the officers who engaged in such despicable behavior. We will stand beside Tyreek and our players as they work to use their platform and this situation to make a positive impact in our community. We have always believed that the game of football holds a unique power to bring people together, and we remain hopeful that through the collective work of the players, organization and our community partners, we can create lasting change.”

As the statement makes clear, the incident has implications that stretch far beyond the world of sports and has sparked plenty of insightful think pieces, including this one from The Washington Post.

During a Monday appearance on CNN, Hill offered his own thoughts on the matter.

“I hate talking like this, man, because I have a kid fan base,” Hill said. “But the reality of it, yeah, it’s the truth. If I wasn’t Tyreek Hill, worst-case scenario, we would have had a different article — ‘Tyreek Hill got shot in front of Hard Rock Stadium.’ That’s worst-case scenario. Or ‘Tyreek Hill put in handcuffs and taken in and booked.'"

As it stands, Hill still has citations for careless driving and failing to wear a seatbelt and one MDPD officer has been placed on administrative leave.

With the Dolphins (1-0) set to take the national stage against the Buffalo Bills (1-0) on Thursday Night Football in just a couple of days in a battle for first place in the AFC East, this story won't be going away. anytime soon.