Florida man punched by police speaks out : “I was really just scared”

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A Florida man and college student who was punched by Jacksonville sheriff’s deputies during a violent arrest captured in a viral video has spoken out publicly for the first time, describing the encounter as terrifying and unjust.

“I just really wanted to know why I was getting pulled over,” said William McNeil Jr., 22, during a press conference. “I knew I didn’t do anything wrong and was really just scared.”

Man punched by police in Jacksonville, Florida

The incident occurred on Feb. 19, when McNeil was stopped by officers who claimed his headlights were off during inclement weather. Cellphone footage shows McNeil asking to speak with a supervisor before officers smashed his window, punched him in the face, and dragged him out of his vehicle.

McNeil, a biology major and marching band leader at Livingstone College in North Carolina, suffered a concussion, chipped tooth, and required nine stitches in his lip following the arrest.

Lawyers and community demands accountability

Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, who are representing McNeil, condemned the officers’ actions and called for the immediate termination of Officer D. Bowers, who was identified as the deputy who punched McNeil.

“This was a 21st-century Rosa Parks moment,” Crump said. “William was calm and compliant. Yet instead of answers, he got his window smashed and was punched in the face, all over a questionable claim about headlights in broad daylight.”

Florida police said no wrongdoing when William McNeil Jr was punched

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage earlier this week and stated that the State Attorney’s Office found no criminal violations by the officers involved. However, an internal investigation is ongoing.

Sheriff T.K. Waters urged the public not to rush to judgment, stating that the cellphone video “does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident.”

McNeil’s legal team disputes the arrest report, which claims he reached for a knife on the floorboard. “The narrative in this report isn’t just suspicious. It is completely divorced from reality,” Crump said.

Parents speak out

McNeil’s family, including his mother and stepfather, expressed emotional distress over the incident. “I’m thankful to God for protecting him, because I know what the outcome could have been,” said Latoya Solomon, McNeil’s mother.

Attorneys said they are exploring all legal options to ensure accountability and prevent similar incidents in the future.