JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — On the night of February 19, 2025, 22-year-old William McNeil Jr. was pulled over by deputies in Jacksonville, Florida. What began as a traffic stop over alleged minor infractions—driving without headlights and not wearing a seatbelt—exploded into a horrifying display of police brutality, captured clearly on video by McNeil himself. His cellphone footage, now viral, shows a white officer punching him directly in the face before dragging him from the car.
The video is unmistakable: McNeil sits in the driver’s seat with his hands raised, visibly confused but calm, repeatedly asking why he was being stopped. Then comes the sound of breaking glass—followed by fists. The officer leans into the broken window and delivers multiple blows to McNeil’s head. Officers yanked him from the vehicle, handcuffed him, and left him injured on the ground.
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McNeil suffered a concussion, a broken tooth, and needed stitches in his lip. In the days and weeks following, he began experiencing short-term memory loss, nightmares, and symptoms of trauma that mirror PTSD. For millions of Black Americans, watching that footage meant reliving a story we’ve seen too many times—a young Black man brutalized during a routine interaction with law enforcement.
No Charges Filed, No Knife Found: Officials Defend Officer Despite Damning Evidence
Sheriff T.K. Waters announced both criminal and administrative investigations following public outcry. Officials removed Officer D. Bowers, the white deputy seen punching McNeil, from front-line duty but did not suspend or fire him. The State Attorney’s Office ultimately chose not to press charges against the officers, claiming they violated no criminal laws. Florida is a Republican leaning state.
Adding insult to injury, the Sheriff’s Office later alleged that McNeil had reached for a knife during the stop—a claim not supported by McNeil’s footage or police bodycam videos. In fact, neither footage nor witness accounts confirm the presence of a weapon. National civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, who represent McNeil, say officers fabricated the claim to justify the violence.
Civil Rights Attorneys Demand Transparency, Accountability After “Inhumane” Attack on William McNeil Jr.
“This wasn’t law enforcement, it was brutality,” Crump said at yesterday’s press conference. “All video from JSO should be released to ensure there is transparency for McNeil and the community. We demand full accountability from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and justice for William McNeil Jr.”
Daniels added, “He gets pulled over for a bogus allegation … to be subjected to this type of brutality is so inhumane.” Reflecting on McNeil’s composure, he emphasized, “William was calm and compliant. Yet instead of answers, he got his window smashed and was punched in the face, all over a questionable claim about headlights in broad daylight.”
Video footage also shows another police vehicle arriving at the scene with its headlights clearly off.
Bodycam Footage Supports McNeil’s Account: Fear, Compliance, and an Unjustified Use of Force
The department’s bodycam footage doesn’t clearly show the punches. It does confirm what McNeil’s cellphone video already revealed. He tried to protect himself, locked his door out of fear, and faced overwhelming, unnecessary force from the officers. McNeil’s cellphone footage, however, shows an officer punching him in the face.
It’s important to note that McNeil initially opened his car door to speak with the first officer, explaining that he couldn’t roll his window down. Later in the video, McNeil lowers the passenger-side window to speak with a second officer. During yesterday’s press conference, McNeil said, “I feared for my life” after seeing that one of the officers already had his gun drawn — according to his attorneys.
Guilty Plea Under Duress Doesn’t Excuse Brutality, Say Attorneys Seeking Federal Civil Rights Probe
McNeil later pleaded guilty at the station to resisting arrest without violence and driving with a suspended license, serving a brief stint in jail. Prosecutors dropped the other charges, including marijuana possession. Still, his legal team argues that the plea does not justify the violence inflicted on him—nor does it erase the trauma he continues to endure. Attorney Ben Crump added that McNeil entered the plea while under duress and suffering from a concussion sustained during the violent arrest.
Notably, the officer who pulled McNeil over had no way of knowing about the marijuana or his suspended license at the time of the stop. It’s also highly questionable whether police could have seen whether McNeil was wearing a seatbelt before initiating the encounter.
Describing the incident as racially motivated, McNeil says he feared for his life and continues to battle flashbacks and insomnia. He and his attorneys have filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, accusing them of excessive force and racial profiling. They’re also urging the Department of Justice to open an independent investigation.
Florida Leadership Fails to Act as Advocates Decry Systemic Racism and Demand Justice for William McNeil Jr.
Despite the damning footage, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stood firmly with law enforcement, expressing confidence in Sheriff Waters—without even watching the video. His lack of response underscores the depth of the problem: society often ignores Black pain, even when cameras capture it.
Crump added, “If you don’t terminate this officer and you condone this type of police excessive force, then it sends a message to all of the other police officers … it tells them, it is OK for you to treat citizens like this, it is okay to treat Black motorists like this. In America, it is not OK.”
Civil rights advocates and local leaders demand the officer’s termination and call for systemic reforms. They argue that McNeil’s case is a textbook example of driving while Black, where a minor traffic stop escalates into a life-altering act of state violence.
As the Case Unfolds, One Truth Remains: Being Black Shouldn’t Be a Crime or a Death Sentence
Internal reviewers continue their investigations, and the civil case advances through the courts, but one fact remains clear: officers should never have punched, beaten, or dragged William McNeil Jr. over a seatbelt violation and headlights in broad daylight. In America, systems too often excuse brutality when the victim is Black and protect it when the aggressor is white—even when the evidence is undeniable.
Author’s Note: Now that yesterday’s press conference has taken place and we have more facts, we can finally report on the police brutality case in Jacksonville, Florida, involving William McNeil Jr.
As a Black male reporter, this wasn’t just another story—it was a painful reminder of a reality I and many in my community know far too well. I’m deeply grateful to civil rights attorneys like Ben Crump, whose very presence helps shine a light on the injustices our community continues to endure, decades after the civil rights era.
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How much weed was he hiding? You have to begin by acknowledging your entitled behavior. We are not racist (I’m Hispanic) but we are tired of your disregard for law and order, bullying and lack of respect.
I watched the video and this breaks my heart. Please get him justice!! This is not how you treat people after a routine traffic stop. So unnecessary and excessive force.