CHICAGO — William McNeil Jr’s legal team is demanding their client’s convictions tied to his controversial arrest be thrown out.
The now-viral video of the February arrest shows McNeil being hit in the head by an officer at least twice, which resulted in McNeil sustaining a brain injury, according to his legal team.
But just one day after that now-infamous arrest, McNeil pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license and resisting without violence.
During a press conference in Chicago on Tuesday, McNeil’s legal team announced they plan to fight to have those convictions overturned.
“How can he enter into a plea when he has a closed head injury, suffering from a concussion, and can’t even remember his name?” said McNeil’s attorney, Harry Daniels.
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The attorneys also renewed their demands for Officer Donald Bowers, the JSO officer seen hitting McNeil in the now-viral cell phone video, to be fired and criminally charged.
“They have chosen to try to criminalize this young man when the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Department officers were the criminals on that day,” said McNeil’s attorney Ben Crump.
The State Attorney’s Office quickly cleared Bowers and all other officers involved in the arrest of any criminal wrongdoing after the cell phone video of the incident was released earlier this month.
According to the State Attorney’s Office, a memo which will explain why McNeil was never interviewed as part of its review of the officers’ conduct and the reasoning behind its determination will soon be released.
Along with their demands for accountability and the reversal of McNeil’s convictions, McNeil’s legal team said it is exploring other legal options, including a civil rights lawsuit against JSO.
JSO is not commenting any further due to that threat.
While the outcome of the agency’s internal investigation into Officer Bower’s conduct during the arrest is pending, Sheriff T.K. Waters has argued the situation could have been avoided if McNeil had complied when asked to exit his car.
“It’s important for the people to know that you don’t, you’re not allowed to resist when he’s doing his lawful duties. It’s been dealt with several different times,” said Waters during a press conference last Monday.
McNeil’s legal team has argued their client was simply exercising his constitutional rights when pulled over for a reason they believe lacked any legal merit.
Sheriff Waters has argued the reason for the stop is an argument that could have been debated after the fact and there is no legal right refuse a lawful command after being placed under arrest.
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