Attorneys representing a man at the heart of a now viral traffic stop have filed a federal lawsuit against police.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Attorneys representing the man at the heart of a now viral Jacksonville traffic stop announced the filing of a federal lawsuit Wednesday against the City of Jacksonville, as well as the Jacksonville Sheriff.
Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump, Harry Daniels, and Gerald Griggs announced at The Sanctuary at Mount Calvary on Wednesday afternoon, alongside William McNeil Jr. that the lawsuit had been filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida against Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters, Ofc. D.J. Bowers, Ofc. D. Miller, and the City of Jacksonville.
McNeil was shown in a now-viral Jacksonville traffic stop in February that shows him being punched in the head by Jacksonville Sheriff’s officers.
According to Duval County Court records, William McNeil was cited for driving without his headlights on in rain, fog or smoke, due to what the officer who pulled him over determined were rainy conditions. JSO released body camera footage of the incident in July in response to the viral video, showing McNeil closing his door and locking it after Ofc. D.J. Bowers ordered him out of the car.
Following the encounter, McNeil suffered various injuries, such as broken teeth and a traumatic brain injury.
A report by the State Attorney’s office says that McNeil was observed to be parked at a house on West Palm Avenue, actively being monitored for drug activity, and that Officer Bowers’ use of force did not constitute a criminal act.
Daniels spoke first on Wednesday, stating that they can “unequivocally say” that it was not raining, as well as claiming that they have video proving that the officers’ headlights were not on as well.
“This is what you call an unlawful stop,” said Daniels.
Daniels also comments on McNeil getting struck in the head by the officer, which Bowers commented in JSO’s internal investigation as a “discretionary blow,” regarding it as an undocumented “blow.”
Attorney Crump spoke next, telling the audience that the filing of this lawsuit is necessary to see a change in policy throughout the city, citing the case as a civil rights issue and an instance of racial profiling.
“We know we are on the right side of history,” said Crump. “Sheriff Waters and [the city of] Jacksonville are on the wrong side of history if they are going to say that racial profiling is right.”
Crump claims that in the United States, racial profiling is at an all-time high and that with this lawsuit, they are aiming to “speak truth to power.”
Attorney Griggs commented on the “culture” in JSO that “attempts to justify the unjustifiable,” leading to cases such as McNeil’s.
Griggs also states that contact has been made with the Department of Justice to prove that “no one is above the law.”
McNeil briefly addressed he audience, stating that after today, he hopes that his “story is heard.”
Attorneys also told the audience that officers involved who did not intervene will be included in the lawsuit.
After being asked about why the attorneys feel so comfortable about the DOJ hearing their case and siding with them, they cited the DOJ’s involvement in a case in which an officer with the Camden County Sheriff’s Office had shot and killed an exonerated man in 2023. The DOJ had ruled that the former officer will face federal civil rights violations for using excessive force and for falsifying records.