A wild claim has surfaced online that the police officer who was involved in stopping and detaining NFL player Tyreek Hill had a Buffalo Bills background listed on his LinkedIn profile. Hills was released less than an hour after his detention, while the cop has since been sent on administrative leave.
Since then several conspiracy theories surrounding Hill's arrest have been doing the rounds. According to the new claim, the cop who detained Hill is a Buffalo Bills fan and he had planned the detention. However, that is not true. The claim is completely false and there are several evidences that can prove the wild claim is just a rumor.
The Wild Claim
On Sunday, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Hill was stopped by police while on his way to his team's season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Officers pulled Hill, one of the Dolphins' key players, from his vehicle and forcibly restrained him on the ground—an event captured on video by several fans headed to the game.
Hill was later released with a speeding citation and went on to score a touchdown just hours after the incident. The Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) opened an internal investigation, while the Miami Dolphins' management called for "swift and firm action" against the officers involved in what they described as "disgraceful behavior."
The following day, a screenshot allegedly of the officer's LinkedIn profile circulated, gaining over 1.3 million views. The image showed a profile featuring a "Bills Mafia" graphic as the background, a reference to Buffalo Bills, a rival of the Dolphins.
Entire Thing Manipulated
The screenshot, however, was altered and likely intended as a joke or disinformation. Signs of editing were visible, including the white profile picture border overlapping part of the background image.
Also, the fake screenshot differed from what had previously been a legitimate LinkedIn profile, though that profile seems to have been deleted.
After the release of bodycam footage from the officers involved on September 9, online investigators claimed to have identified the officer as Manuel Batista, based on a name tag visible in the footage.
A LinkedIn profile once existed under that name, with the same details as the viral screenshot, but it did not include any Buffalo Bills-related graphics.
The screenshot had been manipulated to add a Bills Mafia logo in the background, and it was shared following a viral post on X that included the original LinkedIn profile image.
Since the image used to support this claim was doctored, it can be labeled as a false claim.
