Things are heating up in the case involving a viral video of a Black man being assaulted by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office as a police report claims the victim was being “verbally combative,” First Coast News reports.
BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on the video showing William McNeil Jr., 22, being violently pulled out of a car during a February traffic stop where officers accused him of driving in intense weather without his headlights on. Officers were seen violently punching McNeil’s window out — after he revealed it didn’t work. With McNeil recording the whole ordeal, he was then seen being dragged out of the car with his hands up, and punched in the face while officers apprehended him.
The police report spins the narrative that the officers were just in their violent approach since he “quickly opened” the driver’s door and immediately became “verbally combative.”
At one point, an off-camera officer can be heard telling another officer to “go for it” as a green light to break the window. The report claims McNeil was “reaching for the floorboard of the car where a large knife was sitting.”
However, the video shows McNeil sitting upright with his seatbelt still on when officers punched the window in, followed by a violent punch to the face.
Following the backlash, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters spoke out during a press conference, stating that the viral video is portraying a tale of something that didn’t happen.
“Social media is not reality. One video clip devoid of context can be very misleading. Given that McNeil never brought this incident to JSO’s attention but rather pushed the cell phone camera footage that he had in his possession since March 5th out on social media, one could only assume, and I’m saying I assume that he intended to inflame the public,” Waters stated.
“The administrative process is still ongoing, and as such, I will neither defend nor commend Officer Bauer’s response to resistance until all the facts are known and the investigation is completed.”
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Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels have been hired to represent McNeil. Daniels labeled the ordeal as “disgusting,” but highlights not being surprised given Jacksonville’s alleged reputation of police brutality against Black people. “I am absolutely disgusted by the actions of these officers, but, unfortunately, I’m not surprised,” Daniels said.
“The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has a long history of this kind of needless violence and brutality.”
While the report claimed officers found three and a half grams of marijuana and drug paraphernalia in addition to the alleged knife, Crump says his client wasn’t acting erratically and “wasn’t a threat to anyone.” “He was calmly exercising his constitutional rights and they beat him for it,” Crump added.
State lawmakers agree. Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami Gardens called the video “deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable,” according to Florida Politics. He says the video is a “sickening reminder of the systemic issues that plague our law enforcement.” “This incident is not isolated; it is part of a painful pattern that further erodes trust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect,” the senator said.
“We must demand accountability for this officer’s actions and work tirelessly to reform our justice system to ensure such egregious acts never happen again. My heart goes out to the victim, and I stand in solidarity with all those who demand justice and an end to police brutality.”
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