Opinion: Extremely flawed Tyreek Hill can still fight for police reform

Pay close to attention to one particular part of the statement from one of Tyreek Hill’s lawyers released on Monday. It says a great deal. It says everything.
“It is already clear that well before this incident, Miami-Dade County should have fired Officer (Danny) Torres,” part of the statement read. “Instead, the County repeatedly returned Officer Torres to the street permitting him to use his police authority to terrorize people.”
“Had officers not realized that they were interacting with Tyreek Hill – a well-known, beloved, educated, and seemingly wealthy black man – this traffic stop would likely have ended with the driver in jail, in the hospital, or like George Floyd, dead,” the statement added.
Or like George Floyd, dead.
Hill invoking Floyd is no small thing. This isn’t just attorneys readying for a lawsuit. This is something much deeper. First, it’s another stark acknowledgement by Hill that getting stopped by police could have gone horribly wrong if he wasn’t a star.
Most of all, with this statement, and the hiring of some impressive legal firepower, Hill is signaling he’s preparing for a larger fight. Hill wants to become one of the leading edges in the battle to reform police culture.
We haven’t seen an NFL player take a public stance this aggressive since Colin Kaepernick.
Hill was detained earlier this month during a traffic stop and since then he’s addressed police abuse. But this move is an entirely different level of speaking out. It enters into the realm of hardcore activism. Particularly since his legal team now includes a former federal prosecutor as well as a civil rights attorney who worked on Floyd’s case.
But we also have to acknowledge that this is a complex discussion, because Hill isn’t like Kaepernick in one significant way. There were no controversies about Kaepernick’s past. Sure, people tried to make up things about Kaepernick, but he was, and is, an extremely decent man. He was, and is, perfect for the fight.
Hill’s past is more problematic and this is where things get nuanced and problematic. He’s been accused of incidents of domestic violence, including a truly ugly case when Hill was in college.
None of this is good. None of it should be buried or ignored, either.
And nothing Hill did in the past excuses the behavior of the officers. But that past is always brought up by the extreme right and people who believe police should be able to do whatever the hell they want. They latch onto it to try and weaken his police reform message. This is a constant theme on social media.
It’s important to deal with this substantial elephant in the room. Put it all up front and on the table. While Hill’s past actions are bad, really bad, they don’t detract from Hill’s mission, which is historic and noble.
Make no mistake about it: Hill can make impactful change. This isn’t hyperbole. He’s one of the most powerful people in one of the most powerful businesses in America. He can utilize financial and political power in ways most people cannot. Other players inside and outside of the NFL will listen to him. Some politicians will.
One of the biggest things Hill can do is provide a permission structure to other athletes to join the fight. That’s what Kaepernick did.
Hill seems to understand all of this. That’s what the statement he released means more than anything. It’s not just that he’s ready to join the fight. He seems to understand what exactly joining the fight means.
“Miami Dolphins’ superstar Tyreek Hill said that he will speak for all people in a broad fight against national police misconduct,” another part of the statement read.
“Hill is adamant that his legal team will ensure that the voices of people who have long been ignored or silenced on the issue of police reform will finally be heard.”
Yes, Hill is far from perfect. But he’s perfect for this moment.