July 24, 2025
William McNeil talks about the fear he experienced during the Feb. 19, Florida traffic stop that led to his alleged assault and arrest.
William McNeil, a 24-year-old Florida man, spoke to ABC News about his violent encounter with Jacksonville police officers on Feb. 19.
The student was pulled over for what authorities said was a seat belt violation. Video taken from inside the vehicle shows McNeil questioning the officers while sitting still in his vehicle.
McNeil was asked why he did not exit his vehicle and what prompted him to begin recording the interaction. He stated that the vehicle seemed the safest place, and he was confused about the reason for his potential arrest.
“That day I just really wanted to know why I was getting pulled over and why I needed to step out of the car,” McNeil said in a news conference. “I knew I didn’t do nothing wrong. I was really just scared.”
During the encounter, officers attempted to remove McNeil from the vehicle. Subsequent footage shows an officer breaking McNeil’s car window, then punching him in the face. Officers then struck McNeil several times as others restrained him.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office acknowledged the video but warned that one view of the incident did not accurately depict the interaction.
Sheriff T.K. Waters cautioned the public that “cameras can only capture what can be seen and heard,” he said at a news conference on July 21. “So much context and depth are absent from recorded footage because a camera simply cannot capture what is known to the people depicted in it.”
Waters also declared that prosecutors “have determined that none of the involved officers violated criminal law.”
Civil rights groups, including the NAACP Jacksonville Chapter, have demanded an independent review and the immediate release of all body camera footage.
“We need full transparency, not another closed-door investigation,” an NAACP statement read.
Ben Crump, a notable civil rights attorney, also called for true transparency and justice.
“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.,” Crump wrote.
Crump is representing McNeil in his active pursuit of justice.
RELATED CONTENT: Trump ‘Very Excited’ To Visit Florida’s New Immigrant Detention Center Known As ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
