Jacksonville Sheriff backs officer who punched driver in viral traffic stop
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Jacksonville Sheriff backs officer who punched driver in viral traffic stop
A traffic stop in Jacksonville, Florida, has sparked public outrage. Video of the arrest went viral, prompting scrutiny with claims from the Sheriff that officers violated no laws. The State Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and determined that the officers did not break any criminal laws. JSO has launched both a criminal and administrative review to analyze the officers’ actions. The arresting officer has been stripped of his badge pending the outcome of the investigation. The body-worn camera footage from Officer Bowers has been released.
“In this case, the cell phone camera footage that began viral circulation over the weekend does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident. And that is to be expected,” said Sheriff T.K. Waters.
Viral social media video:
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), officers pulled over William Anthony McNeil Jr. on February 19 for not having his headlights on.
The video shows that it is daylight outside and McNeil, 22, responds to the officers, saying that it wasn’t raining.
According to Sheriff Waters, McNeil refused to cooperate with the officers and locked himself inside his vehicle, which led to officers breaking his window to remove him and punching him in the process.
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JSO said that McNeil was subsequently arrested for various charges, including resisting an officer, driving on a suspended license, not wearing a seatbelt, and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Sheriff Waters continued to state that the State Attorney’s Office reviewed the case and determined that the officers did not break any criminal laws.
In light of the video, JSO has launched both a criminal and administrative review to analyze the officers’ actions.
To maintain transparency, the body-worn camera footage from Officer Bowers has been released, as he consented to it being made public.
Bodycam footage:
However, due to the active reviews, further details regarding the incident remain confidential at this time, Sheriff Waters said.
Sheriff Waters promised open communication with the community as they continue to look into the case and address any concerns stemming from the viral video.
According to JSO, the arresting officer has been stripped of his badge pending the outcome of the investigation.
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