(Reuters) – The traffic citations issued to Miami Dolphins receiver Tyreek Hill following his September incident with police were dropped after the charging officer failed to attend a court hearing this week.
The incident, which led the Miami-Dade Police Department to open an internal affairs investigation, occurred before the Dolphins’ National Football League season opener when Hill, who is Black, was pulled over for speeding.
The encounter escalated over a dispute about Hill’s raised car window, which an officer insisted he reopen. That prompted an officer to forcefully remove Hill from the vehicle and throw him to the ground before placing him in handcuffs.
Hill had been ticketed for careless driving and failing to wear a seat belt. The tickets were dismissed on Monday.
“As anticipated, the traffic citations against Tyreek Hill were dismissed,” Hill’s attorney, Julius Collins, said in a statement. “Police officers should not issue citations unless they are willing to testify in court, under oath, with respect to the same.”
Collins also said the charging officer’s absence from court is proof of his knowledge of wrongdoing and that he should be disciplined for failing to appear.
Miami-Dade police said the dismissal of the non-criminal citations issued to Hill due to the officer not attending the hearing does not indicate the citation held no merit.
“An internal review as to why the officer did not appear in court has revealed an oversight on his behalf,” Miami-Dade police said in a statement. “This matter will be handled administratively.”
Body-camera footage showed a police officer asking Hill through his open car window why he did not have his seat belt on. After a brief exchange, Hill rolled his window up and the officer knocked on it, ordering him to roll it down.
Hill partially rolled the window down and the officer told him to get out of the car. In audio of the exchange, the officer became increasingly belligerent toward Hill and threatened another driver, who appeared to know Hill and who had stopped his car nearby.
Another officer then came over, opened the car door and grabbed Hill by the back of the head, forcing him face down on the pavement as he put him in handcuffs with a knee pressed against his back.
Officers then picked up the still-handcuffed Hill and led him to the sidewalk, where they asked him to sit. Hill asked them to slow down because he had recently had knee surgery, before an officer grabbed him from behind and forced him into a seated position on the curb.
Hill, a five-time All-Pro wide receiver, leads Miami with 571 receiving yards this season.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Rod Nickel)
