Tyreek Hill’s police stop raises questions. We might know the answers.

On Sunday morning, the Miami Dolphins’ star wide receiver was stopped by a crew of police officers. He got pulled out of his black sports car that retails for $300,000, and with the driver’s side butterfly door still propped up, officers placed him in handcuffs. Later, after the cops allowed him to get on to his day job and after he celebrated a touchdown by imitating being placed under arrest, the multimillionaire stood on an elevated platform and addressed reporters. He had the room’s attention as he recounted his brief detainment by law enforcement, and he asked, “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?” Do we really have to wonder? Advertisement Had this situation not involved one of the best and highest-paid wide receivers in the NFL, and instead just a random citizen stopped outside Hard Rock Stadium for careless driving, here’s an educated guess as to what probably would have happened: He would have been arrested, not simply detained. His car — maybe a Mazda, certainly not a McLaren — would have been abandoned on the side of the road as he was placed face down on the ground for a traffic stop. And with motorists capturing the moment, the police department would not have immediately launched an investigation and placed an officer on administrative leave. Following the early-morning arrest of an anonymous driver, would the city’s mayor and chief of police had held a joint news conference to announce discipline for an officer who did not activate his body camera? The traffic stop involving Scottie Scheffler ultimately ended with that same officer wishing Scheffler “all the best,” though he still claimed he had been run over and dragged by Scheffler’s car. By Monday morning of this week, the police union representing the Miami-Dade department offered a more contentious response. To combat the viral cellphone video, the union described Hill as “uncooperative” during the stop and said he had to be “redirected to the ground.” By Monday evening, footage from an officer’s body camera surfaced and showed a handcuffed Hill hesitating to take a seat on the curb before another officer charges in and forcefully takes him down. They’re athletes with loads of fame, armies of adoring fans and more money than they can ever spend. Would he deserve the benefit of the doubt afforded to a successful and likable pro athlete, when so many other times — from certain communities that still hold law enforcement in reverence — the badge automatically receives that trust? Would Dolphins fans driving by protest on his behalf, yelling toward officers to “Chill out!” once they notice who’s on the ground? Advertisement In standing up for their teammate, several Dolphins reacted with the kind of sad casualness that only comes from a lifetime of horrible experiences with police. It was crazy,” Dolphins safety Jevón Holland said, though nothing in the tone of his voice portrayed shock. “It’s not unnatural or not uncommon for cops to do that type of s—, especially to Black men.” Police body-cam footage released Sept. 9 shows a dispute over a raised car window before officers drag Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill out of his car. (Video: AP) That inspires another question: Had that not been Calais Campbell, the Dolphins defensive tackle and 2019 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award winner, stopping to assist Hill on Sunday and just another 6-foot-8 Black man, would he have been released after being handcuffed? Advertisement Though there appeared to be people of color among the arresting officers Sunday, a racial element still hangs over the image of Hill in handcuffs. He might be Tyreek Hill, but even he was grabbed by a police officer just below his neck and forced down. There’s still something else: the recognition that wealth and fame can level the playing field during encounters with law enforcement, that the rapid delivery of justice becomes a bit more certain when the whole world is watching. The traffic stops involving Hill and Scheffler were unfortunate, but the subsequent actions were not shocking. Would he have missed work, vainly telling anyone who would listen that he didn’t understand why officers pulled him to the ground? – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2024/09/09/tyreek-hill-police-stop/