Florida officers punch and drag black man during traffic stop
- William McNeil Jr. was pulled over for not having his headlights on during daytime driving.
- Tensions escalated when McNeil asked to speak to a supervisor, prompting officers to break his window and assault him.
- The incident has sparked outrage and calls for accountability regarding police conduct in Jacksonville.
In Jacksonville, Florida, on February 19, 2025, a traffic stop turned violent when 22-year-old William McNeil Jr. was pulled over by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. Officers claimed he was driving without his headlights on during inclement weather. McNeil disputed the reason for the stop, arguing that it was daytime and requested to speak with a supervisor. As tensions escalated, an officer broke McNeil's car window and began striking him, resulting in national outrage and calls for an investigation into police conduct. Video footage of the incident went viral, showing McNeil allegedly being calm and compliant prior to the aggressive response from the deputies. Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, who represent McNeil, emphasized that his request for clarification should not have led to violence. They noted that the officers' actions reflect broader issues of police brutality against Black individuals. As a result of the video, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office launched both a criminal and administrative investigation into the officers' conduct. However, the State Attorney's Office later concluded that the officers did not violate any criminal laws, stoking further community outrage. McNeil was charged with resisting an officer without violence and driving on a suspended license, despite the controversial nature of the initial stop that prompted the officer's actions. The event echoes previous allegations of excessive force by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and highlights ongoing tensions regarding police practices and accountability in interactions with Black residents. The attorneys representing McNeil have called for transparency in releasing additional footage from the incident, demanding accountability from law enforcement. The community's response to the incident underscores the pressing need for reform in law enforcement practices to ensure that basic rights, such as asking questions during a traffic stop, are respected and protected.