Sheriff Defends Officer Who Punched Driver in Traffic Stop

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has released new body camera footage showing a heated and physical traffic stop that took place back in February, after a viral cellphone video of the incident sparked widespread backlash on social media.

The traffic stop occurred on February 19, involving 22-year-old William Anthony McNeil Jr. In the cellphone footage that circulated online over the weekend, McNeil is seen sitting in his vehicle during what officers described as a routine stop for a headlight violation. The video shows deputies breaking McNeil’s driver-side window and punching him in the head before pulling him from the vehicle and forcing him to the ground.

In a press briefing on Monday, July 21, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters addressed the public’s concern and released the bodycam video recorded by the officers during the incident. According to Sheriff Waters, while the bodycam footage does confirm that officers used physical force to arrest McNeil, a review by prosecutors found that no criminal laws were violated during the stop.

“When incomplete cellphone footage becomes the basis for public opinion, the results can be just as incomplete,” Waters said, urging the community to wait for the full context before making final judgments.

In the bodycam video, officers are heard asking McNeil to step out of the car multiple times. McNeil repeatedly asks why he was pulled over and refuses to exit the vehicle. After several warnings, deputies are seen breaking the window and using force to remove him. The sheriff said that the officers were attempting to enforce lawful commands and that McNeil’s refusal to comply escalated the situation.

Still, Sheriff Waters acknowledged the seriousness of the incident and said an administrative investigation is still ongoing to determine whether the officers violated department policy.

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“I’m not here to defend or commend what happened,” Waters said. “That’s for the full review to determine. What I can say is that based on what we know so far, there were no violations of criminal law.”

The incident has reignited local debate about the relationship between law enforcement and Black communities, with some residents calling for greater transparency and changes in how routine traffic stops are handled.

As of now, McNeil has not released a public statement. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office continues to review the case internally while urging the public to view the entire bodycam footage to better understand the full series of events.