Two months after NFL star Tyreek Hill was pulled from his car and handcuffed outside his home stadium during a traffic stop, a police officer was pulled over.
Police bodycam footage shows the Miami Dolphins wide receiver lying face down on the road with an officer kneeling on his back. Chikimo has always called for the officer to be fired.
Chikomo was accused of reckless driving and not wearing a seat belt after the police pulled him over for speeding.
The two names were dismissed after the officer who wrote the ticket failed to appear in court on Monday, due to his “supervisor”, according to the Miami-Dade Police Department.
“The report that was rejected for this reason does not prove that the report is not valid,” said the police, noting that he is “not guilty”.
Hill, responding to the news, posted on X: “Where are all the internet cops now”.
Hill’s lawyers told ESPN that the “absence” of the officers “shows their knowledge of wrongdoing”.
“Mr Hill was entitled to his day in court,” the lawyers said, calling for the police to be “punished” for not turning up.
The police spokesperson, Mr. Andre Martin, denied that the officer was told by his superiors to skip coming to court and also said that many other cases were dismissed due to his absence.
Officer Batista “forgot or did something related to his duties that prevented him from going”, Detective Martin told the BBC.
A judicial investigation is being conducted into the failure to appear, Detective Martin said.
Results from a separate internal investigation launched after the release of the bodycam footage have not yet been shared.
The traffic stop happened from the Dolphin’s home field, the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, several hours before the season opener.
Body camera footage showed Hill at times arguing with police, telling the officer “don’t knock on my window like that”.
Hill rolled down his window to talk to the police, then raised it, prompting the officer to tell him to roll it down.
Seconds later, the officer said: “That’s right, get out of the car.”
Many police officers were present. Chikimo was taken out of his car and the two were placed on the ground. An officer then knelt on his back to restrain him and put him in handcuffs.
He and two of his teammates who were also suspended were released and went on to play that night against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Dolphins won the game and Chikomo won the game, which he celebrated while pretending to be handcuffed by his teammates.