In Florida, Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said Monday that none of the officers involved in the violent arrest and beating of 22-year-old Black motorist William Anthony McNeil Jr. will face criminal charges. The beating occurred on February 19 after Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies pulled McNeil over for driving without his headlights on — even though it was daytime and not even raining. Now-viral cellphone video shows McNeil posing no threat to officers as he questioned why they had pulled him over. An officer then breaks McNeil’s window and punches him in the face, before officers drag him from the car, throw him to the ground and begin pummeling him.
Police officer 1: “Exit the vehicle now! Exit the vehicle! Show me your hands!”
William Anthony McNeil Jr.: “Here. I’m here. What is your reason, sir?”
Police officer 2: “Step out! Step out!”
William Anthony McNeil Jr.: “What is your reason?”
Police officer 3: “Step out now!”
Police officer 2: “All right, get on the ground!”
William Anthony McNeil Jr.: “No! No, don’t! Don’t touch!”
Police officer 2: “Get on the ground!”
McNeil says he suffered a chipped tooth that pierced his cheek, requiring stitches; a concussion; and short-term memory loss. Jacksonville’s branch of the NAACP called the video “disturbing,” adding, “This troubling behavior from law enforcement highlights the very reasons why many African Americans, especially African American men, feel fear during traffic stops.”