David Torres, the brother of Miami-Dade police officer Danny “Dano” Torres, has come to his sibling’s defense after the officer was placed on administrative duties following a chaotic confrontation with NFL star Tyreek Hill. The incident occurred ahead of the Dolphins’ season opener at Hard Rock Stadium, and Torres insists that the blame lies with Hill for not complying with the officer’s commands.
In an interview with the Daily Mail, David Torres spoke out, calling his brother an “excellent cop” and pointing the finger at the Dolphins receiver for escalating the situation. Body cam footage shows Danny Torres pulling Hill from his car after he allegedly refused to follow orders to roll down his window.
“If you watch the video, he did not follow instructions from the get-go. He was yelling at the officer and telling him not to bang on his window,” David Torres said. “If you know anything about dealing with police officers, you know do not raise your window on them. The officers have every right to keep themselves safe. And that’s exactly what happened. They were keeping themselves safe.”
Despite an ongoing internal affairs investigation, David Torres believes the entire situation could have been avoided had Hill complied. He also claimed Hill “disrespected” the officers during the encounter.
Hill admitted earlier this week that he “could have been better” in the situation but expressed frustration with how things escalated. “At the end of the day, I wish I could go back and do things a bit differently,” Hill said during a news conference. However, he remained firm, stating that the officers had no right to “literally beat the dog out of me.”
The body cam footage shows Hill handing the officer his license but refusing to roll down his window. When Hill didn’t exit the vehicle quickly enough, Officer Torres pulled him from the car and forced him face down on the ground. Later, as Hill explained he had just had knee surgery, Torres fired back, “Did you have surgery on your ears when we told you to put your window down?”
David Torres described his brother, a 27-year veteran of the Miami-Dade Police Department, as “charismatic” and “very likable.” He defended his brother’s actions, saying, “He’s just a straightforward, black-and-white kind of person… I think he is an excellent cop. I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be reinstated.”
While David Torres mentioned Hill’s tinted car windows were illegal, no citation was issued for the tint. Tinted windows are legal in Florida but with certain restrictions.
Danny Torres’ attorneys have stated that the officer should be reinstated, though the investigation continues.