Bodycam video shows Black man punched in face by Florida police officer, investigation launched

Video shows deputies punching, dragging man from car

A Florida deputy was stripped of his duties after video went viral of him punching and dragging a Black man from a car.

JACKSONVILLE, FL. - Video of a Black man being punched and dragged out of his car during a traffic stop in February has now led to an investigation into the officers’ use of force. 

What we know:

The incident went viral after 22-year-old William McNeil Jr. posted video of his arrest on social media. McNeil was pulled over on Feb. 19 in Jacksonville, Florida for driving without his headlights on during the day. 

The bodycam video shows McNeil telling the officer that other drivers also had their headlights off and that it was daytime. He asked again why he was being pulled over and requested that the officers call their supervisor. 

McNeil then closes his door and starts recording the interaction on his phone. The officers start yelling for him to exit the vehicle, then punch the window, smashing the glass in his face. He throws another punch to McNeil’s face while other officers on scene pull him out of the car. 

McNeil's attorney, Harry Daniels, spoke at the July 23 news conference saying McNeil suffered permanent injuries from his arrest, including a fractured tooth and split lip that required nine stitches. He also had a concussion after the arrest and suffers from short-term memory loss.

A second officer described in a separate report that physical force was applied after McNeil was knocked to the ground. The report detailed six closed-fist punches to McNeil’s leg before he stopped resisting, according to the Associated Press.

What they're saying:

Ben Crump — civil rights attorney who has represented the families of police brutality victims Trayvon Martin and George Floyd — says the incident is a "classic case of driving while Black".

"Listen with your own ears. We have audio, visual, evidence — proof of what happened. Nobody has to narrate it for us… you can’t justify this," Crump said. 

Daniels describes McNeil as an academic scholar, receiving a scholarship to study at Livingstone College, a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in North Carolina. He studies biology and played in the school’s marching band. 

The other side:

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office argues the video doesn’t show the full context of the incident. 

"Yes, there absolutely was force used by the arresting officers, and yes, that force is ugly," Sheriff TK Waters said on July 21 at a news conference. "Just because force is ugly does not mean it’s unlawful or contrary to policy."

The sheriff says that the cellphone footage "does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident." 

"The suspect was reaching for the floorboard of the vehicle where a large knife was sitting," Officer D. Bowers wrote in his report, found by the Associated Press. "The suspect continued to attempt to pull away from officers and refused to place his hands behind his back."

Crump and Daniels call Bowers’ mention of the knife a "fabrication" and said that he never reached for anything in the car.

What's next:

An ongoing investigation is being conducted to determine whether the officers violated department policies. 

The State Attorney’s Office determined that no officers violated any criminal laws.