Florida Traffic Stop: Excessive Force Or Failure To Comply?
Many of us have seen the now-viral traffic stop video out of Florida where a 22-year-old Black college student was detained, had his car window smashed in and was punched in the face by a police officer. At the time, majority of those who managed to stomach viewing the heinous attack could clearly see that it was yet another example of excessive force by authorities.
In a wild-yet-not-surprising turn of events however, officials have now ruled the incident as a failure to comply after prosecutors confirmed the actions of Officer D. Bowers didn't constitute a crime.
RELATED: Is Hiring More Black Officers The Key To Reducing Police Violence?
A full investigation into the widely-circulated attack that originally occurred on February 19, 2025 resulted in a multipage report released to the public yesterday (August 14). Take a look below at the core excerpt that goes into detail on what they found in discovery, via The State Attorney's Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit Court:
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'The driver, William McNeil Jr., opened his door (stating his window was broken) and asked why he was being pulled over. Officer Bowers explained the reasons for the stop and asked for McNeil's license, registration, and proof of insurance. McNeil said, 'No,' argued the basis for the traffic stop, and told Officer Bowers, 'Call your supervisor.' When Officer Bowers asked McNeil to step out of the SUV, McNeil again said, 'No,' and then slammed and locked his door. What started as a routine traffic stop quickly escalated into McNeil's arrest for Resisting an Officer without Violence for failing to follow lawful orders.
Despite being told six times he was under arrest, McNeil refused to get out of the SUV. After four minutes and multiple warnings that he intended to break his window, Officer Bowers broke McNeil's window and ordered him out of the SUV, but McNeil still refused to exit the SUV. While continuing to order McNeil out of the SUV, Officer Bowers struck McNeil in the face with an open hand and told him to show his hands, which McNeil did only after being struck. Officer Bowers then unlocked the SUV door and unbuckled McNeil's seatbelt, which McNeil had buckled after he was stopped. Officers pulled McNeil from the SUV, but McNeil actively resisted, continued to argue, and said, 'No' multiple times. In the struggle to gain compliance, Officer Bowers punched McNeil in the chin as officers arrested him,
McNeil had drugs in his pocket, drug paraphernalia in the SUV, a large, serrated knife at his feet, and was driving on a suspended license—facts not known to Officer Bowers when he pulled McNeil over. The day after his arrest, McNeil pleaded guilty to Resisting an Officer Without Violence and Driving While License Suspended.'
The report went on to add that despite pleading guilty, McNeil Jr. still uploaded the video we all saw five months later as a way to shift the narrative in his favor. We have to admit, the serrated knife and drugs in the car — public use of marijuana is still federally illegal in Florida — make it hard to see him as entirely innocent. At the same time though, he comes off completely non-threatening in the video (seen above) and it simply doesn't seem necessary to hit him with a closed fist.
McNeil's attorneys, Harry Daniels and the renowned Ben Crump, seem to agree with that sentiment after telling ABC News , 'Let's be clear, the State Attorney's Office never interviewed William McNeil. They did, however, try to excuse the fact that Officer Bowers failed to disclose his unlawful 'distractionary strike,'' also adding, 'They also tried to decriminalize Officer Bowers punching Mr. McNeil outside the vehicle and completely failed to mention the officers slamming Mr. McNeil's face into the asphalt while he was under control and in custody.'
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