Introduction:

        On February 19, 2025, 22-year-old college student William Jr. McNeil was stopped by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on the road in Jacksonville, Florida. Sheriff's deputies reported that they pulled Mr. McNeil over for failing to turn on headlights and failing to buckle his seatbelt because it was raining, which does not add up because video footage released by his lawyer showed it was daylight at the time he was pulled over. Deputies also stated that his seatbelt wasn't on either. Law enforcement then asked Mr. McNeil to exit the vehicle, but he refused and locked his doors, asking the deputies to call their supervisors. He ignored about a dozen lawful commands before the officers proceeded to smash the driver’s side window, demanding him to exit the car, punched him in the face and then asked him to put his hands up to which he obliged to. This is when the situation escalates as the officer pulls him from the car, punches him repeatedly, and throws him on the ground, causing a fractured tooth, a concussion in the arrest, the need for stitches, and suffering short-term memory loss following the incident.

Analysis:

       Officers reported that Mr. McNeil reached for a knife at the floorboard of the vehicle, however the video footage and McNeil’s legal team disputed this narrative, citing no visible threat. The State Attorney's Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida declared in August 2025 that there will not be any charges pressed against the officers involved in the crime because their conduct was essentially not “harmful” enough to be considered a crime. I do not agree with this because the video evidence clearly portrays William McNeil as not aggressive with the officers, as he raised his hands in a form of defense and repeatedly asked for their supervisor, which they would not comply with either. Instead of the officers attempting to de-escalate the scene, they went further by engaging in a critical physical altercation and forcibly dragging him out of the vehicle.

        McNeil’s attorneys stated the officers had used an excessive amount of force on McNeil that was disproportionate to the crime, resulting in severe casualties and an unlawful decision regarding the enforcement personnel’s sentence, which was ultimately nothing. Since this event unfolded, Crump and Daniels have filed a federal lawsuit against the officers involved. This can be argued as a violation of McNeil’s civil rights and the 14th Amendment, as he resisted officers without violence yet was dealt with their brutality and a disgrace to the law enforcement system in their unconstitutional and excessive method of handling the situation. McNeil states that he is still recovering from the incident, stating, “I'm still afraid of police. I'm still frightened at night. I don't sleep still as much as I used to” (CBS News).

Conclusion:

        Even in the instance that Mr. McNeil wasn't complying with state regulations of recording the altercation and refused to exit the vehicle, that still does not give the officers the right to justify such violent and excessive physical force when Mr. McNeil posed little to no threat, resulting in numerous charges on Mr. McNeil and not a single charge on the enforcement officers involved. This decision can be considered as disproportionate to the crime and the circumstances of the situation and can also be argued unlawful in honoring McNeil’s civil rights as McNeil's lawyers have voiced regarding this outcome.​​