JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Jacksonville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) spoke out on Monday about a viral video showing a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office traffic stop that turned violent in February.
In a statement, the NAACP said it has “thoroughly reviewed the viral video” of the February incident that shows JSO officers breaking William McNeil Jr.’s driver’s side window, hitting him in his face, and pulling him out of his SUV during the traffic stop after he asked to speak to a supervisor.
Recommended Videos
“We are calling for immediate answers from Sheriff TK Waters,” the organization wrote. “This troubling behavior from law enforcement highlights the very reasons why many African Americans, especially African American men, feel fear during traffic stops.”
Isaiah Rumlin, president of the Jacksonville Branch of NAACP, referred to the video as “disturbing.”
“I already talked to the sheriff this morning and we would be meeting later on this week. We’re looking for the sheriff’s department do the right thing and we all know the investigation will have to take place. There will have to be a process,” Rumlin told News4JAX.
In the video, posted by McNeil Jr., 22, and reviewed by News4JAX, McNeil appears to be discussing why he was pulled over with an officer who is near his passenger side window.
Watch the video in the player below
An arrest report from JSO says the incident occurred at about 4:17 p.m. and confirms that McNeil Jr. was pulled over near Jacksonville’s Woodstock neighborhood because his vehicle “did not have its headlights or tail lights illuminated in inclement weather.”
The arrest report also states that McNeil Jr. became “verbally combative” with the arresting officer and that the officer asked him for his driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance, to which McNeil Jr. replied, “Call your supervisor.”
In the video, McNeil Jr. told officers when they asked him to roll down his window that he couldn’t because his window didn’t work, which is why he initially opened the door during the traffic stop to speak to the first officer.
The video shows McNeil Jr. asking another officer on the passenger side to pull out the law that he was told he had violated.
McNeil Jr. then asks the officer for a supervisor, and the off-screen officer can be heard saying, “Go for it,” which is followed by the officer on the driver’s side striking the window three times and breaking it.
As that officer yells, “Exit the vehicle now! Exit the vehicle!” he can be seen striking McNeil Jr. in the face with a closed fist once before asking him to show his hands.
McNeil Jr. does not visibly react to the initial face punch and shows the officer his hands. The driver’s side door is then opened by the officer, and McNeil’s seatbelt is unfastened as he asks, “What is your reasoning, sir?” before being pulled from his seat.
The video then appears to show an officer hitting McNeil Jr. in the face again as multiple officers push him to the ground and yell out commands.
The camera does not pick up what is happening to McNeil Jr. as he is on the ground, but McNeil Jr. can be heard saying, “What’s going on?” to which a JSO officer responds, “You’re under arrest, that’s what’s going on.”
The arresting officer wrote in his report that he told McNeil that he was being placed under arrest for resisting an officer without violence and that McNeil “refused to exit the vehicle.”
JSO acknowledged the video on Sunday, saying the agency has launched an internal investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a traffic stop represented to be from February 19, 2025,” JSO said. “We hold our officers to the highest standards and are committed to thoroughly determining exactly what occurred.”
News4JAX reached out to Waters to request an interview, and we received the following statement:
“We are working diligently to identify what occurred during the entirety of this incident – as soon as that happens we will be able to offer more information to the community and work on carving out some time with Sheriff Waters."
The NAACP urged Waters to release the full body camera footage of the incident to ensure “full transparency for the community.”
“We urge Sheriff Waters to take prompt and decisive action against these officers without delay,” the NAACP said.
McNeil Jr. hired nationally renowned civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels and Ben Crump.
Daniels told News4JAX on Monday that McNeil suffered injuries, including a chipped tooth and a concussion, and that he needed stitches and is suffering short-term memory loss.
McNeil said that after the incident shown in the video, he was taken to jail. Court records show that McNeil was “adjudicated guilty” of resisting an officer without violence and driving on a suspended license.
The citations for not wearing a seat belt and driving without headlights in inclement weather appear to have been dismissed.
“I’m not saying this was profiling, but this is another reason why you see so many African American males so fearful of being stopped at the hands of police officers, not only in Jacksonville but all over the country. You never know what’s going to happen,” Rumlin said.
McNeil was sentenced to two days in jail, which he had already served by the time of his arraignment.
News4JAX also reached out to Mayor Donna Deegan regarding this incident. Her office responded:
“I’m aware of the traffic stop video, and it’s disturbing. I understand that JSO is investigating this incident. I’ll await the results of that investigation.”