Police in Jacksonville, Florida are investigating a “viral” video in which an officer is seen punching a male driver in the face during a traffic stop.
Footage that began circulating on social media over the weekend showed William McNeil Jr. staring at the camera on Feb. 19 as an officer is seen smashing his driver’s side window and demanding that he “exit the vehicle now!” The officer then strikes McNeil in the face before he is dragged out of the car and taken into custody.
“At my direction, the agency immediately began both a criminal and administrative review of the officers’ actions. These administrative reviews are ongoing, but the state attorney’s office has determined that none of the involved officers violated criminal law,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Monday while releasing a longer bodycam video of the incident.
“I want to be clear about something. Yes, there absolutely was force used by the arresting officers. And yes, that force is ugly. But as I’ve said many times before, the reality is that all force, all violence is ugly, and just because force is ugly does not mean it’s unlawful or contrary to policy,” he added.
Waters said the arresting officer involved in the incident, whom he identified as D. Bowers, has been “stripped” of his law enforcement authority pending the outcome of the administrative review.
He also said “officers found a large unsheathed serrated knife on the driver’s side floorboard” of McNeil’s vehicle.
“After this traffic stop on February 19, 2025, McNeil was arrested for resisting a police officer without violence, driving on suspended driver’s license, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. On February 20th, 2025, McNeil pled guilty to and was adjudicated guilty of resisting a police officer without violence and driving on a suspended driver’s license,” the sheriff also said.
Waters noted that despite McNeil receiving his cell phone back in early March, which “he presumably used to record the footage that was shared on social media,” he never filed a complaint with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office or shared the video with authorities.
The viral footage begins with McNeil talking to an officer about why he was pulled over, recounting how an officer told him his headlights were off during apparent inclement weather.
“It doesn’t matter — you are still required to have headlights on,” the officer says.
“Can you pull that law up?” McNeil then asks him.
“Yeah, when you step out of the car I will,” the officer then says.
“Can you call your supervisor?” McNeil says.
“Alright, go for it,” the officer is heard saying before McNeil’s driver’s side window is busted open and he is dragged out of the car.
As McNeil is being taken into custody, he asks an officer “what’s going on man?”
“You’re under arrest, that is what is going on,” a voice says.
In the bodycam footage released by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, McNeil is seen refusing to hand over his license, registration and proof of insurance to Officer Bowers.
“No. Call your supervisor,” he says, before refusing a command to step out of the vehicle.
“Sir this is your last warning to open the vehicle and exit before we are going to break the window,” Bowers tells him. “Open the door and exit, you are under arrest for resisting.”
McNeil remains in the vehicle and the window was eventually smashed.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels announced they are now representing McNeil after the video sparked “outrage across the country.”
“What happened to William McNeil Jr. is a disturbing reminder that even the most basic rights — like asking why you’ve been pulled over — can be met with violence for Black Americans. 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,” they said in a statement.
“This wasn’t law enforcement, it was brutality. 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.,” the lawyers added.
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