JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Monday that the officers in a viral video from a February traffic stop that made the rounds on social media this weekend have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by the State Attorney’s Office.
However, Waters said that the officers’ actions during the Feb. 19 traffic stop where William McNeil Jr. was arrested are still under an internal review by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
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During the news conference, multiple angles of body-worn camera footage of the incident were shown.
You can watch the full briefing as it aired on CBS47 and FOX30 Action News Jax at 5:
Body cam video shows McNeil closing his car door after interacting with Officer D. Bowers, the responding officer. In the video, Bowers can be heard telling McNeil to step out of the vehicle as he is under arrest for resisting. Both interactions were not included in the original video posted to social media.
After he was outside of his car, Waters said officers found “a large unsheathed serrated knife on the driver’s side floorboard.”
Waters said Bowers has been stripped of his authority during the internal investigation and said he will not “defend or commend” his actions until all the facts are determined.
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During the news conference, Waters was asked if the Black community would accept the results of the internal investigation when it is completed.
“I wouldn’t work here if we were after Black men,” Waters said.
Waters said McNeil ended up being arrested on charges of resisting an officer without violence, driving on a suspended license, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.
On Feb. 20, McNeil pleaded guilty to and was adjudicated guilty of resisting a police officer without violence and driving on a suspended drivers license.
WATCH: Officer Bowers body-worn camera
On March 5, McNeil took custody of his cellphone, the one he presumably used to record the footage of the interaction that was shared on social media.
“At no time, February to now, did McNeil contact JSO to file a complaint, nor share with the agency the cellphone footage that has circulated on social media,” Waters said. “Had McNeil filed a complaint, JSO would have started this investigation at that time.”
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Action News Jax told you Sunday that McNeil Jr. confirmed he has retained civil rights lawyers Benjamin Crump and Harry Daniels to “fight for justice.”
According to McNeil, the stop began when officers pulled him over, claiming he was required to have his headlights on due to cloudy weather.
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“I said, so what did, I did it wrong? He said well one, your headlights are off under this weather,” McNeil said in the video from the arrest posted to social media.
McNeil said in the video he questioned the stop and asked for a supervisor, and that’s when the situation escalated.
Moments later, an officer is seen breaking the driver’s window and punching him. The video shows McNeil with his hands up, asking what’s happening, then being struck again.
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McNeil’s legal team released the following statement on Monday afternoon ahead of the news conference:
“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.
“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.”
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