Police name cop reassigned after Tyreek Hill handcuffed. Attorney wants him reinstated
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Police handcuff, detain Miami Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill
Miami-Dade police handcuffed, placed a knee on Tyreek Hill during a traffic stop before the season-opening game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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Attorneys for the Miami-Dade police officer who was reassigned after Sunday’s controversial detainment of Miami Dolphins star wide receiver Tyreek Hill called for him to be put back on duty immediately.
On Tuesday, Miami-Dade police identified Danny Torres, a 27-year veteran of the department, as the officer placed on administrative duty. He was one of four officers involved in pulling Hill over for speeding as he drove his McLaren 729S to Hard Rock Stadium Sunday morning in preparation for the Dolphins’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
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The traffic stop escalated and was caught on cellphone footage shot by passing drivers outside the stadium. The videos, and police body-cam footage released Monday night by Miami-Dade Police, show how Hill was ordered out of the car, handcuffed, grabbed by the neck and forced to the street by the officers.
Miami-Dade Police Director Stephanie Daniels placed Torres on paid administrative duty after she said she reviewed the body camera footage from officers that day. Torres earned about $171,000 as a county police officer last year, including $39,000 from overtime pay, according to a county database.
READ MORE: Body-cam footage led police director to reassign officer in Tyreek Hill detention
“We are of the opinion that the officer’s use of force was excessive, escalating, and reckless,” Hill’s attorney Julius Collins said in a statement. “We are demanding that the officer be terminated effective immediately.”
What does the footage show?
Torres was the officer who pulled Hill out of his McLaren and pushed him to the ground, while the other officers helped restrain Hill, according to the body-cam video released by the police.
While Hill was lying flat on his stomach in the street, Torres pressed his palm onto the back of his neck, the footage shows.
Torres later wrapped his arm around Hill’s throat and forced him to sit on the sidewalk curb. Moments before, Hill had told another officer to give him a brief moment because of his recent knee surgery.
Torres also handcuffed Dolphins’ defensive tackle Calais Campbell after he stopped to check on Hill.
Officer M. Batista, who wrote up Hill’s two traffic citations, was shown in the body-cam footage ordering Dolphins tight end Jonnu Smith to leave the scene.
READ MORE: Miami-Dade cops release body-cam footage after Tyreek Hill cuffed before game.
Hill given two traffic tickets
The police department provided copies Tuesday of the two citations it issued to Hill, 30, which show that the NFL standout was ticketed for careless driving and a seatbelt violation.
The citations state that Hill was driving about 60 mph in a high-traffic area with pedestrians and motorists. Hill was traveling near the 2600 block of Northwest 199th Street, according to the citation, which has a posted speed limit of 40 mph.
Hill was fined $129 and $179, respectively, according to the citations written by Officer M. Batista.
Attorneys want Torres back on the job
Torres’ attorneys said in a statement Tuesday that he should immediately be placed back on his patrol duties. As of now, he is assigned to desk duty, according to the attorneys.
“We call for our client’s immediate reinstatement, and a complete, thorough, and objective investigation, as Director Daniels has also advocated,” attorneys Ignacio Alvarez and Israel Reyes wrote.
Alvarez was a longtime Miami-Dade officer before retiring and becoming a lawyer. He ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate to become the county’s first sheriff when the department transitions to a sheriff’s office early next year.
Reyes also is a retired Miami-Dade police officer who went on to become a Miami-Dade circuit judge.
Alvarez and Reyes said Torres will not be making any comments about the incident until the investigation is concluded.
“We urge all parties to refrain from making any public statements that may misrepresent our client’s actions and mislead the public about Mr. Hill’s detainment,” they said.
Torres: Part-time DJ, Motorcycle Club member
When Torres is not working for the Miami-Dade Police Department, he goes by the name DJ DNO, his Facebook profile revealed.
With a set-up reminiscent of turntables in a Miami nightclub, music is an apparent passion of Torres’ — but not the only one.
At one time, Torres was the Florida chapter president of the Gunfighters Motorcycle Club, his Facebook page showed. The international club, according to its website, is made up of active and retired law enforcement who are in “good standing” with their agencies.
Miami Herald staff writer Douglas Hanks contributed to this report.
This story was originally published September 10, 2024 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Police name cop reassigned after Tyreek Hill handcuffed. Attorney wants him reinstated."
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