US Cop Breaks Car Window And Punches Black Man In Viral Video, Taken Off Duty
A police officer in Jacksonville was "stripped of his duties" after a viral video showing cops breaking a car window and punching a Black man in the face at a traffic stop.
A police officer in Jacksonville, Florida, was 'stripped of his duties" on Monday after a video went viral on social media showing the cop breaking the window of a car and punching a Black man in the face during a traffic stop in February, according to authorities.
The footage showed William McNeil Jr, 22, being pulled over by an officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office on February 19 for allegedly driving without his headlights on during the day, NBC News quoted Sheriff TK Waters as saying. McNeil was seen sitting in his car and asking to speak with a sergeant.
McNeil argued that he did not turn on his headlights because it was broad daylight and it was not raining. He asked an officer to show him the law the cop was citing and asked to speak with a supervisor.
Punched Twice, Shoved To Ground
During the encounter, officers asked McNeil seven times to exit the vehicle. Moments later, another officer broke the driver's window and landed a punch in his face while instructing him to get out and show his hands. He was pulled from the vehicle and punched in the face by a cop again before being shoved to the ground by at least three officers.
McNeil's lawyer, Harry Daniels, said he was scared and suspicious of the officers, which was not uncommon for African American men, given the history of racism in police encounters. 'So he decided to prop his phone and record it. They didn't know he was recording," he was quoted as saying by the People magazine.
'The officers could have easily dispatched a sergeant to the scene to de-escalate," he added.
'No Criminal Law Violated'
The Sheriff gave a different version of the events, saying that McNeil did not follow the police officers' commands after being ordered out of the car, refused to show ID and locked his car.
'The law requires that a person comply with a police officer's command during a traffic stop. There are not options. Even if that person disagrees with that officer's reason for the stop," Waters said.
Waters further informed that McNeil was arrested in connection with driving on a suspended driver's license, resisting a police officer without violence and possessing less than 20 grams of marijuana. He eventually pleaded guilty to resisting a police officer and driving on a suspended licence.
The Sheriff said the officer, identified as D Bowers, was 'stripped of his law enforcement duties, effective immediately", but declined to commend or defend his violent response at the traffic stop. 'Just because force is ugly doesn't mean that it's unlawful or contrary to public policy," he added.
'These administrative reviews are ongoing, but the State Attorney's Office has determined that none of the involved officers violated criminal law, even though the administrative review has yet to be completed."
The interaction is now under internal review by the sheriff's office, he added. McNeil's lawyer said he suffered a concussion after the violent arrest and required multiple stitches after his tooth went through his lip.
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First Published:
July 22, 2025, 11:27 IST
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