It has not even been a month since the Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill got detained by the Miami-Dade PD. That was just outside the Hard Rock ahead of their season-opener win over the Jaguars. It was not an ideal way for Hill to start the 2024 season. But what has unfolded since then has been nothing short of a cat-mouse between the Cheetah and the MDPD.

Now, according to TMZ, Hill’s legal powerhouse is shaping up to be quite the team. His lawyer, Julius B. Collins, is teaming up with a roster of high-profile attorneys including Jeffrey A. Neiman, Stephen B. Kelly, Jr., and Devon M. Jacob. These are the same legal minds who collaborated with Ben Crump in the 2020 civil case for George Floyd’s family. Hill isn’t just looking for justice; he’s aiming to drive real change within the police department. Talk about a game plan for reform!

“Tyreek intends to continue the national movement for necessary police reform that George Floyd’s death started,” said Devon M. Jacob in a statement. That’s a bold play, and Hill shows a clear determination to push the envelope here. He’s been vocal about his September 8th encounter with the police.

While he admitted he didn’t handle the situation perfectly, he stands firm that the police’s physical response crossed a line. Can you imagine how different this story might be if Hill wasn’t a star? “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?” he put it out there, adding, “You’d be reading a whole different article.” It’s a haunting thought that raises valid questions about identity and treatment, even if we put aside the racial angle.

He was not letting the personnel in charge go off that easy, and further defended himself by saying: “I wasn’t disrespectful because my mom didn’t raise me that way.” Well, this started the cat-and-mouse we mentioned earlier.

The official report released on September 9 painted a different picture. It read: “Mr. Hill was uncooperative and initiated this unfortunate incident… At no time was he ever under arrest. He was briefly detained for driving in a manner in which he was putting himself and others at risk.” It’s clear the narrative around this situation is complex and layered. But now, the Phins blitzer is having none of it.

With his new legal team, Hill is doubling down, calling for the firing of Officer Danny Torres, who kneeled on his back during the incident. “It is already clear that well before this incident, Miami-Dade County should have fired Officer Torres,” Neiman argued. Collins added, “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.”

See, it’s not hard to understand what Tyreek Hill wants here. And we can agree that it’s more than justice. He just wants to make sure that there are no more years like 2020. And after watching the body cam footage that the police department released, who’d not want to see Tyreek win this battle?

Body cam footage backs Tyreek Hill’s case!

The Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) dropped a rather self-sabotaging body cam footage, unexpectedly airing 105 minutes of it on a Monday night following the September 7th incident. Director Stephanie V. Daniels explained it was all about transparency, but many fans couldn’t help but wonder if it was more about damage control.

The footage kicks off with an officer knocking on Tyreek Hill’s window, which, let’s be honest, is a rough way to start a conversation. Hill shot back with, “Hey, don’t knock on my window like that,” and the tension was palpable. When the officer pressed about his seatbelt, Hill didn’t answer, repeatedly insisting, “Don’t knock on my window like that.” We can only imagine what was going on in the Phins star’s mind.

As things escalated, Tyreek Hill’s frustration grew. “Give me my ticket, bro, so I can go,” he urged. But instead of letting him off easy, the officer insisted he keep the window down. When the officer threatened to pull him out, things quickly went downhill, and in a flash, they wrestled Hill to the ground. He insisted, “I’m getting out, I’m getting out,” but his words were drowned out by the officers’ commands.

Was it really a command, though? No. Officer Torres’ knee was on Hill’s back. At this point, everyone has seen that infamous pic. And it’s sad. Ultimately, the officers cited Hill for careless driving and not wearing a seatbelt, but those moments on video have left a lasting impression. “The actions displayed on video clearly do not meet the standard we expect from law enforcement,” said Miami-Dade County’s Chief of Public Safety James Reyes.

Is that statement enough? It would have been enough if they had suspended/fired the personnel who was responsible. But they slept on it. Hence why Tyreek Hill is taking it into his hands to make sure no one else feels how he did. And as he told CNN, “I’m still kind of shell-shocked from it,” one can not deny the mental toll is the worst enemy. Tyreek’s push for reform going to change the game, or is it just another play in a long history of police accountability struggles?