A Miami-Dade police officer who was at the center of last weekend’s viral Tyreek Hill detainment had six previous suspensions, according to a new report.
“SLATER SCOOP: The officer involved in the Tyreek Hill incident had been suspended multiple times in his career,” Andy Slater wrote on X.
“Danny Torres, a 27-year vet with Miami-Dade Police, had a total of six suspensions with some lasting up to 20 days.”
A report from TMZ Sports provided additional context.
“The cop who put his knee in Tyreek Hill’s back and aggressively slapped handcuffs on the NFL superstar during a traffic stop last weekend has been accused of excessive force in the past, TMZ Sports has learned,” the site reported.
“According to Miami-Dade Police Department records we obtained, officer Danny Torres has received numerous complaints since joining the MDPD back in October 1996.
“The records show that on six separate occasions, he was accused of misconduct, including force violations as well as improper procedures. Torres was also investigated for his use of force at least 13 times as well.
“The records show he’s been disciplined quite a bit in his decades-long career too … receiving written reprimands as well as multiple suspensions — with one ban in 2018 lasting 20 days.”
Hill was forcibly detained outside of Hard Rock Stadium just before the Dolphins opened their season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 8.
Body cam footage from Tyreek Hill’s detainment has been released pic.twitter.com/fuYnGNvqbv
— Dolphin Nation (@Dolphin_Nation) September 9, 2024
Dolphins defensive lineman Calais Campbell was also detained during the ordeal as he tried to help his teammate.
Both players were reportedly going to be arrested and would’ve missed Miami’s Week 1 game before the Dolphins intervened and were able to defuse the situation.
Torres, the police officer in question, is currently on administrative duties following the incident. Last weekend’s events have led to some important conversations and a wide variety of reactions.
Following all of the chaos, Hill and Campbell were able to help the Dolphins win their season opener against the Jaguars, with Hill playing a particularly important role in the victory. He finished with seven catches for 130 yards and a touchdown, and Campbell had one sack, two tackles for loss and three solo tackles. Miami won 20-17.
The Dolphins didn’t have the same luck in their most recent game, falling to the Buffalo Bills by a final score of 31-10 in Week 2. The entire game was one to forget for Miami, as quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered yet another frightening concussion.
It goes without saying that the Dolphins have had to navigate some very unfortunate circumstances already during the 2024 campaign, so one can only hope that there will be better days ahead for the squad as the season continues.
