Latest news with #useofforce
Fox News
27 minutes ago
- Fox News
Jacksonville, Florida police investigating 'viral' video showing officer punching driver in the face
NEW You can now listen to Fox News articles! Police in Jacksonville, Florida are investigating a "viral" video in which an officer is seen punching a male driver in the face during a traffic stop. Footage that began circulating on social media over the weekend showed William McNeil Jr. staring at the camera on Feb. 19 as an officer is seen smashing his driver's side window and demanding that he "exit the vehicle now!" The officer then strikes McNeil in the face before he is dragged out of the car and taken into custody. "At my direction, the agency immediately began both a criminal and administrative review of the officers' actions. These administrative reviews are ongoing, but the state attorney's office has determined that none of the involved officers violated criminal law," Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Monday while releasing a longer bodycam video of the incident. "I want to be clear about something. Yes, there absolutely was force used by the arresting officers. And yes, that force is ugly. But as I've said many times before, the reality is that all force, all violence is ugly, and just because force is ugly does not mean it's unlawful or contrary to policy," he added. DRAMATIC VIDEO SHOWS HERO COPS DRAG DAZED DRIVER FROM CAR BEFORE TRAIN SMASHES INTO IT Waters said the arresting officer involved in the incident, whom he identified as D. Bowers, has been "stripped" of his law enforcement authority pending the outcome of the administrative review. He also said "officers found a large unsheathed serrated knife on the driver's side floorboard" of McNeil's vehicle. "After this traffic stop on February 19, 2025, McNeil was arrested for resisting a police officer without violence, driving on suspended driver's license, and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana. On February 20th, 2025, McNeil pled guilty to and was adjudicated guilty of resisting a police officer without violence and driving on a suspended driver's license," the sheriff also said. Waters noted that despite McNeil receiving his cell phone back in early March, which "he presumably used to record the footage that was shared on social media," he never filed a complaint with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office or shared the video with authorities. BODYCAM FOOTAGE SHOWS CHAOTIC MOMENTS LEADING UP TO FATAL OFFICER-INVOLVED SHOOTING The viral footage begins with McNeil talking to an officer about why he was pulled over, recounting how an officer told him his headlights were off during apparent inclement weather. "It doesn't matter -- you are still required to have headlights on," the officer says. "Can you pull that law up?" McNeil then asks him. "Yeah, when you step out of the car I will," the officer then says. "Can you call your supervisor?" McNeil says. "Alright, go for it," the officer is heard saying before McNeil's driver's side window is busted open and he is dragged out of the car. As McNeil is being taken into custody, he asks an officer "what's going on man?" "You're under arrest, that is what is going on," a voice says. CALIFORNIA OFFICER'S GUN STOLEN BY HALF-NAKED SUSPECT WHO WAS LATER SHOT DEAD BY ANOTHER OFFICER: BODYCAM In the bodycam footage released by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, McNeil is seen refusing to hand over his license, registration and proof of insurance to Officer Bowers. "No. Call your supervisor," he says, before refusing a command to step out of the vehicle. "Sir this is your last warning to open the vehicle and exit before we are going to break the window," Bowers tells him. "Open the door and exit, you are under arrest for resisting." WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT: McNeil remains in the vehicle and the window was eventually smashed. Attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels announced they are now representing McNeil after the video sparked "outrage across the country." "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," they said in a statement. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "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.," the lawyers added.
CBS News
6 hours ago
- CBS News
Video of Jacksonville sheriff's officer hitting man in face during traffic stop prompts investigation
A newly released video of a February traffic stop showing officers in Jacksonville, Florida, arresting a man after one of them broke his car window and hit him in the face has prompted an investigation into the officers' use of force. William McNeil Jr. posted the video he had recorded to social media on Sunday, saying he was pulled over on Feb. 19. In the video, an officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office tells McNeil he was pulled over because his headlights were off. McNeil, 22, tells the officer that other drivers also had their headlights off and asked to speak to a supervisor, and that's when "things escalated quickly as you can see," he wrote on Instagram. The video then shows an officer smashing McNeil's driver's side window, demanding he get out of the car and hitting him in the face. The officers then open McNeil's car door and pull him out. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said Monday that it's investigating the incident after it was made aware of the video circulating online, although the statement noted that "the State Attorney's Office has determined that none of the involved officers violated criminal law." The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office said it began both a criminal and administrative review of the officers' actions. The administrative reviews are ongoing, the sheriff's office said. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who is representing McNeil, said in a statement Monday that the video doesn't match what the officers said happened. He called the incident "a disturbing reminder" that asking for basic rights, like why McNeil was pulled over, "can be met with violence for Black Americans." CBS News has reached out to the Florida State Attorney's Office for comment. In the arrest report, provided to CBS News by McNeil's attorneys, officer D. Bowers said McNeil wasn't wearing his seatbelt when he pulled him over for allegedly not having his headlights on in inclement weather. The officer wrote that he asked McNeil for his driver's license, registration and proof of insurance numerous times, which he said McNeil refused, so Bowers called for backup. "The suspect continued to refuse to comply, at which time I broke the driver's window and opened the driver's door. I along with other officers on scene removed the suspect from the vehicle," Bowers said in the arrest report. "The suspect was reaching for the floor board of the vehicle where a large knife was sitting." McNeil was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, as well as resisting an officer without violence, according to the arrest report. He pleaded guilty to and was adjudicated guilty of resisting a police officer without violence and driving on a suspended driver's license, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said. During a news conference Monday, Waters released body camera footage from the February incident and said the viral arrest video "does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding this incident" and it "did not capture the events that preceded Officer Bowers's decision to arrest McNeil." The sheriff's office also posted an image of the knife as seen in one of the officers' bodycam video on Monday. Bowers' body camera footage shows the officer asking McNeil why he opened his door instead of rolling down his window. In the footage, McNeil says his window doesn't work, and Bowers then asks for McNeil's identification one time before telling him to get out of the car. McNeil, who questioned why he was pulled over, responds "no" and shuts his door. He then asks the officer to call his supervisor, and that's when Bowers called for other responding officers, one of whom is heard talking to McNeil from the passenger's side of the vehicle in McNeil's video. Waters said Bowers has been stripped of duty amid an internal investigation. He did not comment on Bowers' actions, but said "the law is clear." "A person must comply with an officer's commands, even if that person disagrees with that officer's reasons for the stop," Waters said. He added that the sheriff's office had not received a complaint from McNeil and was unaware of the allegations prior to him posting the video. Crump noted Monday that McNeil was wearing his seatbelt in his video, but it's unclear from Bowers' body camera footage whether McNeil was wearing his seatbelt when he was first pulled over. The attorney also disputed that McNeil was ever combative or that he was reaching for a knife, adding that the arrest report also failed to mention that the officer hit McNeil. "The narrative in this report isn't just suspicious. It is completely divorced from reality. Not only is he clearly wearing his seatbelt in the video, he never reaches for anything," Crump said in a statement. "In fact, the only time he moves at all is when the officer knocks him over by punching him in his face. Then this young man calmly sits back straight and holds his empty hands up." McNeil said his tooth was chipped and he needed several stitches in his lips as a result of the arrest. He also said he suffered a concussion and short-term memory loss. In his video caption, he wrote: "This was very hard to do I'm not mentally healed from this but I had to get the word out eventually and if I pushed you away or changed more than likely this is why ..."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Border Patrol agent in ‘use of force' incident in West El Paso
EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — U.S. Border Patrol said an agent was involved in a 'use of force incident' and apparently used a stun gun late Thursday night, July 17 in West El Paso. The incident happened at about 10:30 p.m. Thursday at Sunland Park Drive and Constitution/J.C. Machuca Street. Border Patrol said that one of its agents used what they called a 'less-than-lethal electronic device.' KTSM spoke with a person who identified themselves as a witness who said Border Patrol pursued a person into the apartment complex and used a stun gun after the suspect refused to identify himself or cooperate. Video recorded near the complex showed an individual in handcuffs and escorted to an El Paso Police unit. Border Patrol did not say if anyone was arrested in their brief statement. El Paso Police acknowledged the alleged incident when KTSM asked for more information about an individual being taken into custody at the Westside incident. There were no injuries, Border Patrol said. The incident is under review by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility. Border Patrol did not say what led up to the incident. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
An OKC police officer who fatally shot a rape suspect will not be charged, grand jury says
(Editor's note: This article contains mentions of sexual assault that some readers may find disturbing.) The Oklahoma County grand jury decided against formally indicting an Oklahoma City police officer in the fatal shooting of a 40-year-old man accused of rape earlier this summer. Jurors concluded that the use-of-force case involving OKC police Sgt. Justin Kuehn was a "no bill," meaning they didn't believe the officer should face charges, according a news release sent Tuesday, July 15, from the Oklahoma County District Attorney's Office. On June 4, police were serving a sex crimes-related search warrant for Jose Antonio Martinez in the 5200 block of Evanbrook Terrace. According to a redacted report from an arresting officer, Martinez exited the house and fled southbound on foot. The report also states that "an officer later confronted (Martinez) in an open field north of the house." That officer, Sgt. Kuehn, found Martinez after the suspect had "tossed his gun over a fence and hopped over," according to the district attorney's news release. Police also said Kuehn ordered Martinez to stop, but Martinez ignored Kuehn's commands and reached down to pick up the firearm. The accompanying officer's police report said that Kuehn then fired his service weapon, striking and killing Martinez. More: OKC police officer shoots, kills man during confrontation while trying to serve warrant At the time of the shooting, investigators had been searching for Martinez for more than a week after arrest warrants were issued for him on three counts of first-degree rape and one count of forcible oral sodomy. According to an arrest affidavit dated May 27, Martinez was accused of raping both his wife and his daughter's 17-year-old best friend. Court records show a protective order from the wife against Martinez had been issued in April but was dismissed in early May after his wife failed to appear in court. The grand jury heard from three detectives and viewed 16 exhibits, including body-worn camera footage, photographs from the site of the shooting and a recorded interview with Sgt. Kuehn, according to the DA's news release. Detectives also testified about the basis of the warrants for Martinez and the investigation into the case against him, the district attorney's office said. The news release said that the grand jury did not believe a use-of-force expert would have helped in their deliberations. Martinez had previously been convicted of felony cases from 2013 and 2019, including possession of a controlled dangerous substance, domestic assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm after felony conviction. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC officer not indicted after fatal police shooting of rape suspect
CBC
5 days ago
- CBC
Use of force is up with London police. Here's why they say that's the case
Social Sharing London police officers reported using force on the job 17 per cent more often last year compared to the year prior, according to an annual report shared with the London Police Service (LPS) Board, Wednesday afternoon. The report attributed the increase in use of force reports filed by officers to a rise in the use of conducted energy weapons, more commonly known as Tasers, which the report notes is driven by an effort to train and equip more officers with the devices. As with last year, visible minority groups are over-represented in situations where officers use force, however the report notes there's no evidence of racial disparity in cases where firearms are pointed, drawn or fired, or where Tasers are discharged. "We had 337 use of force reports submitted which were related to 308 distinct occurrences and 448 unique subjects [in 2024]. That would be an increase of 50 reports from 2023 to 2024," said London Police Inspector Angela Johnson, while presenting the report to board members. The report presented by Johnson says 2023 saw 287 use of force reports filed. LPS members are required to file the reports when an officer: Draws a handgun in the presence of a member of the public. Points a firearm at a person. Discharges a firearm. Uses a weapon on another person. Draws and displays a Taser to someone with the intention of achieving compliance Points a Taser at a person Discharges a Taser. Uses force on another person, including through a horse or dog in a way that results in an injury that requires medical care. This is contingent on the officer being aware that the injury required care before going off-duty. Of the incidents in which force was used, the report says, de-escalation was attempted 86 per cent of the time. The rest of the incidents required immediate action. The bulk of the use of force reports filed by officers in 2024 came from situations in which officers pointed firearms at people — a total of 230 times. Still, the most significant year-over-year increase came from Tasers, according to the report. In 2024, Tasers were drawn 100 times, pointed at people or animals 110 times, and discharged 50 times. When an officer fills out a report they can count multiple actions separately, such as drawing, pointing and discharging a Taser or handgun, which explains the large number of reports compared to the total number of incidents. Police attribute the increase, in part, to the push to train and equip more officers with the devices. As the result of a conductive energy weapon expansion program in the police service, 352 officers were qualified to use Tasers in 2024, compared to 242 in 2023. The increase also has to do with the reporting requirements police adhere to, according to LPS Deputy Chief Treena MacSween. She said officers without Tasers more often have to physically restrain suspects, and if no injuries are sustained there is no requirement to report use of force. "If that same situation were to occur and I was trained as a [Taser] operator, I pulled out my [Taser], didn't point it, didn't discharge it, but I displayed it in the presence of a member of the public. If he saw that I had the [Taser] out and ... turns around, puts his hands behind his back, I cuff him ... that would require a use of force report," MacSween explained. MacSween said the LPS plans to continue the expansion of its Taser program, touting the simple presence of one of the devices as an effective de-escalation tool. There was also a marked increase in canine-related use of force, accounting for more than 35 per cent of the total year-over-year increase. That increase is attributed in the report to the canine unit responding to more calls in 2024 than in 2023. Weapons, warrants, intimate partner violence top use-cases The report shows that 41 per cent of cases involved weapons calls, up from 34 per cent in 2023's report. 18 per cent involved the execution of warrants, and 10 per cent involved intimate partner violence. The reasons officers claimed to have used force primarily involved, in descending order -- protecting themselves, protecting the people force was used against, protecting members of the public, and achieving an arrest. Of the 448 unique people identified in use of force reports, police believed 82 per cent of them had possession or access to a weapon at the time force was used. 160 of those instances included the belief the subject had, or was near to, a handgun. One person was killed by police in 2024, according to the report. Last year, police shot and killed an 18-year-old London man, who they say stabbed and killed his then-girlfriend.
