NFL star Tyreek Hill has admitted he could have acted “a bit differently” during a traffic stop in which he was pulled out of his car by officers and handcuffed.
Bodycam footage of the incident was released on Monday showing officers detaining the Miami Dolphins wide receiver.
While he was on the ground, one officer put a knee on his back, holding the player’s wrists against his lower back.
Hill, 30, who described Sunday’s incident as “crazy”, was released in time to play against the Jacksonville Jaguars, which the Dolphins won 20-17.
However, on Wednesday, he appeared more contrite.
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“I will say I could have been better,” Hill said.
“I could have let down my window in that instant. But the thing about me is, I don’t want attention.
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“I don’t want to be cameras-out, phones-on-you in that moment.
“But at the end of the day, I’m human. I’ve got to follow rules. I’ve got to do what everyone else would do.
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“Now, does that give them the right to literally beat the dog out of me? Absolutely not,” Hill added.
“But at the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently.”
Following the incident, the Miami Dolphins condemned what they called “overly aggressive and violent” conduct by the police.
The team said in a statement posted on X that the police action was “maddening and heartbreaking”.
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A representative for the police union said Hill was at fault for not being “immediately” cooperative with officers, NBC said.
The officer involved in the stop, named as Danny Torres, has been suspended pending an investigation, however, he has said he wants to be reinstated now.
But Hill, who was cited for careless driving and failing to wear a seatbelt, has called for him to be sacked, saying: “He’s gotta go, man.”
