Miami-Dade County police announced on Tuesday the identification of the officer placed on leave following the detention of Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill due to allegations of careless driving and not wearing a seat belt.
Officer Danny Torres, who has been with the department for 27 years, has been assigned to administrative duties while internal affairs conduct an inquiry into the incident.
Attorneys representing Torres were not available for comment on Tuesday.
Hill faces penalties associated with the alleged violations, which include a $179 fine for careless driving and a $129 fine for not wearing a seat belt, as indicated by the tickets issued.
The incident occurred when Hill was driving a black 2018 McLaren westbound on Northwest 199 Street at around 10:40 a.m. on Sunday.
The traffic stop took place near Hard Rock Stadium, where police body camera footage and cell phone recordings captured the moment Hill was handcuffed and placed face down on the ground.
The Dolphins organization condemned the situation, characterizing it as “despicable behavior” and a misuse of authority.
The citations were issued by an officer identified as “M. Batista” with badge number 9771.
In an interview with NBC News on Monday, Hill claimed he was wearing his seat belt and removed it only when police pulled him over. He described his interaction with law enforcement as cooperative, but accused them of overreacting.
“It just went from 0 to 60, man, from the moment those guys pulled up behind me, knocked on my window, it went from 0 to 60 immediately,” Hill stated, mentioning that he contacted team security while the incident was occurring.
Miami-Dade County Chief of Public Safety James Reyes, who oversees the police department, emphasized the release of body camera footage as part of their commitment to transparency.
“The actions displayed on video clearly do not meet the standard we expect from law enforcement, and are deeply concerning,” Reyes expressed in a statement.
He assured that there would be accountability for any misconduct discovered during the investigation.