Why Tyreek Hill’s Arrest Should Be A Moment Of Reflection For All Of Us

Tyreek Hill #10 of the Miami Dolphins and Jaylen Waddle #17 of the Miami Dolphins celebrate after Hill’s receiving touchdown during the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Hard Rock Stadium on September 8, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Florida. | Source: Megan Briggs / Getty

The recent video of Tyreek Hill being detained by Miami-Dade police officers became an international news story. The interaction raises important issues that should not be overlooked.

Hill stated during a CNN media interview, “What if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?”

I get his point. What if someone without Hill’s platform and position had been similarly detained? The reality is that over 20 million people are pulled over for traffic-related reasons annually and can connect with that fear. Someone’s mother, father, sister, brother or child is often in the position of facing the harshness of a justice system without the benefit of celebrity status, or teammates to come to their rescue.

MORE: Body Camera Footage Of Tyreek Hill’s Arrest Exposes The Fragile Egos Of Miami-Dade Cops

As horrible as Hill may have felt, he understood that there are millions of Americans who face these challenges without the privileges that he enjoys. For instance, how many people have powerful attorneys on speed dial who they can call in moments of crisis? How many people’s employer would come to their defense or stand beside them as they navigate police detainment? How many of us have the benefit of a national platform to make our case in the aftermath of arrest?

If there is a silver lining in this situation, it is that this matter provides an opportunity for deeper discussions on our criminal justice system. In the same way that there is an opportunity for dialogue now that a person who may be convicted of a felony could become the President of the United States, this situation provides a window for discussion. We should be talking about the criminal justice system and the millions of Americans who navigate its labyrinths on a daily basis. We should be talking about the ways in which an interaction with law enforcement could escalate into a felony or worse.

There are 50,000 traffic stops each day. Were Hill not a famous football player, would the bodycam footage have been released so quickly? Unfortunately, too often critical issues within our criminal justice system are ignored because the person involved lacks notoriety.

But this is a moment for reflection. For Hill and for the rest of us.

At a pre-game press conference, Hill admitted that he could have reacted to the officers differently. Traffic stops are typically tense, evoking heightened emotions on the part of both the officer and the person who has been stopped. We have seen instances where traffic stops quickly deteriorate quickly, and someone is arrested or even killed.

Another huge difference is that while Hill had space to admit a common human error, not everyone receives a second chance. The overwhelming majority of us only had the opportunity to admit a lapse in judgment once we were behind bars or in front of a judge. And at this point, a person may have an arrest record, conviction, or blemish they will have to live with for the rest of their lives.

For instance, in 2016, I met an elderly gentleman who was excited to have the opportunity to vote in the presidential election. He could barely walk and wore a medical apparatus to help him breathe. Even though he lived a couple of blocks from his voting precinct, he had to drive his car to get there. I remember walking alongside his car as I escorted him to polls. We found a parking spot close by and I escorted him to a poll worker to assist him.

After quite some time he finally emerged from the building with a dejected look on his face. To my disappointment, I discovered that he in fact was not allowed to vote because he lost the right to vote for the rest of his life because of a traffic infraction; driving with a suspended license.

There are millions of people trapped in the justice system who wish they would have reacted differently or made better decisions. Think of the millions of people who have served their time, repaid their debts to society, but still find it difficult to get occupational licenses, find a job, access money, find a place to rent, or even vote. The looming question is whether they, like Hill, deserve an opportunity to overcome their shortcomings. Do they deserve a second chance?

Hill’s experience also gives us the opportunity to highlight the benefits that society reaps when we address these barriers. Because addressing systemic injustices benefits the community as well as the individual. In Florida alone, barriers to workforce participation for persons with records results in 40 billion dollars in lost earnings annually. When people earn more, they spend more. When more people have resources, more people invest in their local economy.

Additionally, an arrest record also impacts one’s ability to purchase a home. Not only must a person earn enough to purchase a home, they must find communities that will allow them to live there with a record. This again impacts us all.

The National Realtors Association estimates that each house sale pumps $122,000 into the local economy. In Florida alone, there are over 6 million people with an arrest record. Imagine what would happen to the local economy if a third of them obtained a good-paying job and bought a home. According to the National Association of Realtors, “The real estate industry accounted for $381.4 billion or 24.1% of the gross state product in 2023.”

When we are able to get an education, get a good paying job or obtain occupational licenses, vote and buy a home, our chances of reentering the criminal justice system are drastically reduced. And, our contributions to our local communities skyrocket.

We have an opportunity to choose something different. The problematic issues we face in our criminal justice system are prevalent but they don’t have to be permanent. We can do the work to create communities in which human decency and human dignity abound. Or we can maintain the status quo, which we know doesn’t work.

Desmond Meade is the President and Executive Director of Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. Meade led the effort to restore the right to vote to Florida citizens with past convictions. His work garnered Meade various awards and honors, including his recent Nobel Peace Prize nomination in 2023.