Several members of the NFL community have voiced strong disapproval regarding the actions of Miami police officers during a recent traffic stop involving Tyreek Hill. Many have expressed outrage over how the situation unfolded earlier this month. However, former NFL quarterback Cam Newton believes the star wide receiver could have taken steps to deescalate the incident before it got out of hand.
During the latest episode of Newton’s show, 4th & 1 with Cam Newton, which aired Friday, the former MVP shared his thoughts on Hill’s encounter with the Miami-Dade Police Department. Newton didn’t hold back in his critique, emphasizing that Hill should have handled the situation differently when he was pulled over.
“Bro, just comply!” Newton said, addressing Hill directly. “I’m saying this to not only Tyreek but to everyone who finds themselves in these types of situations. You’re a Black man in a car, and unfortunately, you don’t get any privileges in those moments. Rolling your window down and then rolling it back up? You can’t do that. It’s not just dangerous for you, it’s dangerous for the officer. They have no idea what’s going on in that car.”
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Newton further explained that his comments weren’t about defending the actions of the officers, but about focusing on how the situation could have been prevented from escalating.
“I’m not taking the officer’s side, let’s be clear about that,” Newton clarified. “But once you’re told to get out of the car, it’s almost like a flag has already been thrown. At that point, the situation is out of your hands. When they say get out of the car, it’s over. We need to be smarter about how we react in those moments.”
The incident Newton was referring to took place on September 8, as Tyreek Hill was driving to Hard Rock Stadium for the Dolphins’ game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Hill was pulled over for speeding, and things quickly escalated when he handed his license to the officer and then rolled up the window of his tinted luxury sports car.
The officer knocked repeatedly on Hill’s window, asking him not to roll it up completely. In response, Hill ordered the officer to stop knocking and demanded, “Give me my ticket so I can go, bro.”
The confrontation intensified when another officer arrived and physically removed Hill from the car after he refused to follow instructions. Hill was eventually handcuffed for noncompliance. The entire encounter was captured on the officer’s body camera, which has since been released to the public.
Though Hill initially called for one of the officers involved to be fired, he has since admitted that he could have handled the situation differently.
Newton’s comments suggest he feels the same, urging Hill and others in similar positions to take a more compliant approach to avoid unnecessary escalation.
