Tyreek Hill's citations from Miami pre-game detention dismissed after officers fail to appear in court

Two traffic tickets for Tyreek Hill were dismissed Tuesday. (AP Photo/Adrian Kraus, File) (RELATED PRESS)

A Miami-Dade hearing officer dismissed two traffic tickets against Tyreek Hill on Tuesday. Detention by police before the match near Hard Rock Stadium in September.

The summonses were dropped because the officers involved failed to appear in court. multiple reports are cited, according to court records. Hill was issued a $179 reckless driving ticket and a $219 seat belt violation ticket for the incident, which occurred while Hill was en route to Hard Rock Stadium for the Dolphins’ Sept. 8 season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Police body camera footage of the incident It shows officers pulling Hill over near the stadium. A police officer ordered Hill to roll down his car window. When Hill broke his window and was unable to open it completely, officers opened his car door, dragged him out of the car, and pinned him face down on the street while one of the officers put his knee on Hill’s back.

Officers handcuffed Hill and eventually released him in time for Hill to play in the game. Hill was not charged with a crime.

Miami-Dade police officer Manuel Batista The police officer who pulled Hill over. Miami-Dade police officer Danny Torres Police officer pinning Hill to the ground. Both failed to appear in court Tuesday, court records show, prompting hearing officer Patricia Henrys to dismiss the citations. Quoted by the Miami Herald.

The incident sparked calls, including from Hill and his lawyers. manager Drew Rosenhaus and called for Miami-Dade police to take disciplinary action against the Dolphins against the officers involved.

Following the incident, Miami-Dade police placed Torres on administrative duties pending an internal affairs investigation. It is unclear whether the investigation has been completed. The results were not made public. Torres remains on administrative leave, the Herald reported.

Hill, lawyers respond to Tuesday’s ruling

Hill’s attorneys are Julius Collins, Devon Jacob, Stephen Kelly and Jeffrey Neiman. made a statement to the media Addressing the dismissal of citations on Tuesday, he continued his call for discipline against the officers involved:

“As expected, traffic tickets for Tyreek Hill were dismissed,” the statement reads. “Police officers should not issue citations unless they wish to testify under oath in court regarding the same matter. Officers Torres and Batista’s absence from court today is evidence that they knew they were doing wrong. These officers should be disciplined for their failure to appear. Mr. Hill will have his day in court.” He had the right to pass and the officers did not come to the hearing.

“We believe Officer Torres and Officer Batista failed to appear in court so they could not be questioned under oath.”

Hill responded to the news on social media:

Neither Miami-Dade police, Batista nor Torres have publicly addressed this decision. Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, told the Herald he didn’t know why Batista and Torres didn’t show up.

“Officers often find themselves in conflict with other cases,” Stahl said. “But in this particular case, I don’t know what this conflict is.”

A Miami-Dade police spokesman said the department plans to release a statement regarding the decision later Tuesday, according to the Herald.

Hill’s teammates Calais Campbell and Jonnu Smith stopped at the scene when they saw Hill was taken into custody. Smith was also fined $129 for having an expired license plate and $179 for failure to comply with a traffic control device.

Miami-Dade traffic violation officer Thomas Cobitz dismissed both charges against Smith on Friday, according to the Herald. Court records show the “wrong law was cited” regarding the citation for failure to comply with a traffic control device. Campbell was not quoted.

Hill, lawyers respond to Tuesday’s ruling

Related Posts