What started as a seemingly minor traffic stop in Jacksonville, Florida, has turned into a storm of controversy and national debate.
At the center of it all is 22-year-old William McNeil Jr., a college student whose violent arrest by police officers has gone viral and drawn outrage across the country.
The video of his encounter with law enforcement is sparking renewed conversations about race, police force, and accountability.
Mayor Responds but Urges Patience
Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan weighed in on the incident, acknowledging how upsetting the footage has been for many.
While she expressed sympathy for public concerns, she urged residents to remain calm as the investigation plays out.
“I understand the angst. I understand the upset,” she said in an interview with News4Jax.
“But let’s wait and see where it all goes. Hopefully, there’s a good resolution.”
She emphasized the importance of due process and admitted there’s only so much she can say while legal proceedings loom.
McNeil has already retained well-known civil rights attorneys Benjamin Crump and Harry Daniels, who say the video sparked “outrage across the country.”
What the Footage Shows
The dashboard and bodycam footage paints a disturbing picture.
Officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are seen smashing McNeil’s car window, punching him in the face, dragging him from the vehicle, and striking him again as they arrested him.
All of this reportedly began because McNeil was driving without his headlights on—during bad weather.
According to a police report, McNeil was stopped because both his headlights and taillights were off.
But McNeil told a different story. In the video, he’s seen calmly asking the officers why he was pulled over.
He says he opened his car door because his window doesn’t work and was told it was due to his headlights being off.
McNeil then questioned the officer’s reasoning, pointing out that it wasn’t raining and that other cars had their lights off too.
The Confrontation Escalates
The officer, identified as D. Bowen, insisted that McNeil needed headlights in that weather and asked him to step out of the car.
When McNeil asked to see the law requiring that, the officer told him he would explain once he got out.
McNeil then requested a supervisor, and that’s when things spiraled.
Without further warning, Bowen smashed McNeil’s window and punched him in the face, shouting for him to get out.
According to the police report, Bowen believed McNeil might be reaching for a knife and that he was resisting arrest.
But McNeil’s video appears to challenge that claim.
It shows him with his hands visible and even wearing his seatbelt—contrary to Bowen’s statement.
Bowen had to unbuckle it himself before dragging McNeil out of the car.
McNeil Speaks Out
In a press conference days later, McNeil described what he went through.
“I just really wanted to know why I was being pulled over and why I needed to get out of the car,” he said.
“I didn’t do anything wrong. I was scared.”
McNeil revealed he suffered a concussion and a fractured tooth that required nine stitches.
Despite everything, he later pleaded guilty to resisting arrest without violence and driving with a suspended license.
Legal Team Blames Race and Excessive Force
His lawyers are arguing that the brutal arrest was racially motivated.
They pointed out that McNeil is a Black man and the arresting officers were white.
“This is a disturbing reminder that even asking a question can turn violent for Black Americans,” said Crump and Daniels.
“William was calm and compliant. Instead of answers, he got punched in the face over headlights.”
They called the officers’ actions brutal, not lawful, and demanded the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office release all remaining footage and take responsibility.
Police Push Back, But Admit Use of Force
Jacksonville Sheriff TK Waters responded by launching both criminal and internal reviews of the incident.
Bodycam footage has since been released, and Waters addressed the public.
“Yes, there was force used—and yes, that force is ugly,” he said.
“But just because it’s ugly doesn’t mean it violates the law.”
Waters pointed out that McNeil was repeatedly told to exit his vehicle but refused for about three minutes.
His car door was initially open, then closed and seemingly locked before officers forcibly removed him.
The sheriff stressed that the State Attorney’s Office determined no criminal laws were broken by the officers involved.
Governor DeSantis Criticizes the Online Reaction
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also weighed in, appearing to defend the officers.
He suggested McNeil’s video was shared to manipulate public opinion and create division.
“There’s a rush to judgment in so many of these things,” he told The Hill.
“People are trying to get views and clicks by pushing a narrative.”
The Road Ahead: Lawsuit and Accountability
As the investigation continues, Mayor Deegan is asking residents for patience, but the calls for justice are only growing louder.
McNeil’s legal team is preparing for a potential lawsuit, demanding transparency and accountability.
Meanwhile, the public—and the country—waits to see what justice, if any, will come from this violent and deeply unsettling incident.