William McNeil Jr., a 22-year-old college student, has filed a federal lawsuit against Jacksonville seeking at least $100,000 in damages for injuries he says he sustained during a violent traffic stop in February.
The incident, which was captured in a viral cell phone video and later on police body camera footage, sparked national outrage and calls for accountability.
Lawsuit alleges excessive force was used by Jacksonville officers
Represented by prominent civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, McNeil’s lawsuit names the City of Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), Sheriff T.K. Waters, and two officers involved, including Officer D. Bowers, as defendants.
The complaint alleges that officers used excessive and unconstitutional force. It resulted in a number of serious injuries for McNeil. Those injuries include lacerations to his chin and lip, a fractured tooth, and an ongoing traumatic brain injury.
According to the lawsuit, the incident began when Officer Bowers stopped McNeil’s vehicle. Bowers claimed he was stopped due to headlight and seatbelt violations.
McNeil, a student at Livingstone College, disputed the reason for the stop and asked to speak with a supervisor.
Viral video showed a calm McNeil met with aggression
The situation quickly escalated when officers gave what they termed “lawful commands.” Bowers then broke McNeil’s car window and forcefully pulled him from the vehicle.
The viral video shows Officer Bowers punching McNeil in the face. McNeil is then dragged to the ground and had his head slammed into the pavement.
The lawsuit further argues that the JSO’s policies contributed to the incident. It alleges that the department’s practices allow for the use of “unwarranted and excessive physical force.” It also alleges its policies do not require officers to report all instances of force. This creates an environment where officers can act without fear of repercussions.
The legal action comes after the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida declined to press criminal charges against the officers involved, a decision that McNeil’s legal team has fiercely criticized.
Crump and Daniels have also formally requested that the U.S. Department of Justice intervene and conduct its own investigation into the incident. They cite what they call a “systemic failure” to hold law enforcement accountable.
While the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has stated it cannot comment on pending litigation, Sheriff Waters previously said that the cell phone video “does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident,” and that McNeil was given multiple commands to exit his vehicle.
McNeil’s lawsuit aims not only to seek justice for the physical and emotional trauma he endured but also to challenge the very culture of policing that his attorneys argue enabled this encounter.
