JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The man seen in a viral video being pulled from his car and struck by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers has hired nationally known attorneys to represent him.
Attorneys for William McNeil Jr. confirmed he has retained civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Harry Daniels to quote, “fight for justice.”
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The video of the February 19th traffic stop has sparked widespread reaction online, with tens of thousands viewing and sharing the footage. It has also prompted an internal investigation by JSO.
Attorney Chris Carson, who reviewed the video, said what he saw raises serious concerns.
“I will say that video seems very over-the-top in terms of the officer’s behavior,” Carson said.
According to McNeil, the stop began when officers pulled him over, claiming he was required to have his headlights on due to cloudy weather.
“I said, so what did I did it wrong. He said well one, your headlights are off under this weather,” McNeil says in the video.
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McNeil said 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.
Carson believes the officer’s actions may not be justified.
“It doesn’t really seem there was any criminal behavior that was alleged on the part of the gentlemen. It’s a traffic stop. It happens 100 times a day,” Carson said.
McNeil said the encounter left him with a chipped tooth, nine stitches in his lip, a concussion, and short-term memory loss.
“They are definitely circumstances where force can be warranted, but from everything that we’re seeing in the context of this video, but I just I just really don’t really see it there, and frankly it seems unnecessary,” Carson added.
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JSO released a statement Sunday confirming that an internal investigation is underway into the incident.
Carson said the implications could go beyond internal discipline.
“We have seen cases over the years. I have handled cases where enforcement officers were actually charged with crimes for things that they did in the course of their police work. It is rare, but it certainly legally can happen,” he said.
Action News Jax reviewed court records related to the incident. A man with the same name as McNeil was arrested that day and later pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and resisting an officer.
He was also charged with marijuana possession, not having headlights on, and not wearing a seatbelt.
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