By Darius Spearman (africanelements)

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Prosecutors have cleared Florida officer D. Bowers of criminal charges after he repeatedly punched and dragged Black college student William McNeil Jr. from his car during a traffic stop (newsone.com). The State Attorney's Office concluded that Bowers' actions did not constitute a crime. They stated that the traffic stop was lawful and the use of force justified (newsone.com). The report claims Bowers stopped McNeil for failing to turn on his headlights and buckle his seatbelt. This occurred after observing his SUV near a house under surveillance for "drug activity" (newsone.com). Prosecutors stated that Bowers gave McNeil a dozen "lawful commands" which he disobeyed. This conclusion was based on body camera footage, interviews with officers, and McNeil's statements (newsone.com).

William McNeil Jr.'s lawyers, Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, condemned the decision. They called the report an attempt to justify the officers' actions (newsone.com). They stated that they "expected nothing less," especially after Sheriff Waters announced his conclusions weeks before the report's release (newsone.com). Crump and Daniels plan to request that the U.S. Department of Justice investigate the incident and the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. They believe local authorities are unwilling to seek justice (newsone.com). They described the incident as "brutality" and not "law enforcement." They emphasized that McNeil was calm and compliant, yet subjected to violence over a questionable traffic violation (newsone.com). McNeil's lawyers highlighted that the video shows McNeil with his hands up and not resisting before being dragged out. Additionally, he was accused of not having headlights on despite it being daytime (wflx.com).

The viral video of the arrest and subsequent events have reignited concerns about racial bias in traffic stops and the use of force by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office (JSO). The traffic stop has "reopened long-simmering questions about how JSO treats Black residents, and the wisdom of what are known as pretextual traffic stops" (news4jax.com). Data from over three years of traffic stops in Jacksonville indicates that Black drivers are ticketed more frequently for the type of minor traffic violation that prompted McNeil's stop (news4jax.com). The officer involved in McNeil's stop did not issue any headlight citations in 2025, but did issue seat belt citations unevenly (jacksonville.com). The incident serves as a reminder of how cellphone video can offer a different account of events compared to police reports, as seen in other cases like Philando Castile's (nwaonline.com).

McNeil's attorney, Harry Daniels, explicitly stated that the traffic stop was "not only racially motivated but 'it was unlawful, and everything that stemmed from that stop was unlawful'" (nwaonline.com). This directly links the incident to racial bias. The articles draw parallels between McNeil's arrest and other instances where Black motorists recorded violent traffic stops, such as Philando Castile's death. This suggests a pattern that could be indicative of systemic issues (nwaonline.com). McNeil's legal team asserted that "The citizens of Jacksonville, Duval County, we believe they’re under siege," implying a broader issue of police conduct affecting the Black community (actionnewsjax.com).

Systemic Racism: Policies and practices in institutions that disadvantage certain groups. Unlike personal prejudice, it exists within social, economic, and political systems around us. Recognizing this form of racism is key to addressing the root causes of racial inequalities in policing and other areas.

Sheriff T.K. Waters defended his agency's handling of the arrest and downplayed the role of racism, despite public outcry and questions. Waters stated that "reasonable people, logical people that see an entire incident from beginning to end with context will understand a lot more took place there," implying the video does not show the full story (newsone.com). Waters, who is Black, stated he believes racism is real. However, he does not believe there is a "system in place held by the man to stop people from succeeding" in the U.S. in 2025 (newsone.com). Waters acknowledged that cameras only capture what can be seen and heard. He added that "so much context and depth are absent from recorded footage" (newsone.com). Waters stated, "Do not use the Black thing, I am a Black man,” and that he would not work for the agency if it was targeting Black people (jacksonville.com).

The sheriff stated that the cellphone camera footage from inside the car "does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident" (wflx.com). He also said that "so much context and depth are absent from recorded footage because a camera simply cannot capture what is known to the people depicted in it." This implies the cellphone video is incomplete from the police's perspective (wflx.com). McNeil's attorneys are using a segment of body camera footage to argue that an officer had his gun pointed at McNeil while he was still in the car. This detail might not be as clear or visible in the cellphone footage (actionnewsjax.com). This directly impacts the perception of threat and use of force. McNeil's lawyers emphasize that cellphone video can "show a different version of events than what is described in police reports," underscoring the importance of independent video evidence in challenging official narratives (nwaonline.com). McNeil's attorney accused the sheriff of "selectively releasing some bodycam video from only some of the officers at the scene with a goal of trying 'to explain away what happened,'" suggesting that even the body camera footage released by the authorities might be curated to influence public perception (baynews9.com).

Discrepancies exist between the police account and video evidence regarding McNeil's actions during the stop. Police claimed McNeil reached towards his floorboard where an unsheathed knife was later found. However, McNeil's cellphone video and police body camera footage do not show him reaching for anything before the window was broken (newsone.com). The video shows McNeil asking why he was pulled over and requesting a supervisor. He then closed his door after being told to exit (newsone.com). The officer warned McNeil that he would break the window if he did not comply. He then proceeded to smash the driver-side window and strike McNeil (newsone.com). McNeil was punched in the face again by the first officer after being pulled from the car and pinned to the ground. Officers told him to "stop fighting" as they handcuffed him (newsone.com). McNeil's lawyers stated that the officer shattered McNeil's car window and punched him in the face while yelling, "Exit the vehicle now," after McNeil asked for a supervisor a second time (wdkx.com).

Officer D. Bowers' report claims McNeil was "reaching for the floorboard of the vehicle where a large knife was sitting" (wflx.com). In direct contradiction, McNeil's attorney stated that the video shows McNeil "never reaches for anything" (baynews9.com). A second officer observed in his report that McNeil kept his hands up as Bowers smashed the window (baynews9.com). The sheriff acknowledged that the cellphone footage "does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident" (wflx.com). This implies that the video might not show everything known to the officers, which could be a way to explain discrepancies.

The prosecutors' conclusion that the use of force was justified is stated without detailing the legal standards or criteria used to determine justification. This leaves readers unclear on how such decisions are made. The provided search results do not explicitly detail the legal standards or criteria used by prosecutors to determine the justification of force in this specific case. However, they do highlight the police's stated justification for the use of force, which centers on McNeil's alleged actions and the presence of a weapon.

Officer D. Bowers' report claims McNeil was "reaching for the floorboard of the vehicle where a large knife was sitting," which was later found on the driver's side floorboard (wflx.com). This alleged action is presented as a justification for the officers' response. The sheriff stated that the cellphone camera footage "does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident," implying that other factors not visible in the video contributed to the officers' decision to use force (wflx.com). McNeil's attorneys dispute the police's claim, stating that the video shows McNeil "never reaches for anything" (baynews9.com). A second officer's report noted McNeil kept his hands up. This suggests a conflict in the justification for force (baynews9.com).

The mention that McNeil's SUV was near a house under surveillance for drug activity is not elaborated upon, lacking background on how this influenced the stop or its relevance to the case. The provided search results mention that McNeil's SUV was near a house under surveillance for drug activity. However, they do not elaborate on how this specifically influenced the traffic stop or its direct relevance to the case. The focus of the articles shifts quickly to the events of the stop itself and the subsequent legal arguments.

The articles mention the proximity of McNeil's vehicle to a house under drug surveillance as a point of context for the initial police presence in the area (wflx.com). While the drug surveillance is noted, the subsequent narrative focuses on the alleged traffic violation (headlights) and McNeil's refusal to exit his vehicle as the immediate catalysts for the escalation of the stop (wflx.com). McNeil's attorneys argue the stop was racially motivated and unlawful. This suggests that the drug surveillance context might have been a pretext or an unrelated factor to the actual reason for the stop (nwaonline.com).

The specific charges McNeil faces (for example, resisting arrest, marijuana possession, driving with a suspended license) are mentioned in some sources but not consistently or explained. This may leave readers uncertain about the full legal context. The provided search results mention that McNeil faces charges, but they do not consistently or comprehensively list all the specific charges against him. The focus is more on the events of the arrest and the legal team's arguments regarding the officers' conduct.

While the articles discuss the circumstances of the arrest, they do not explicitly list the charges McNeil is facing (actionnewsjax.com, nwaonline.com, nvdaily.com, wflx.com, baynews9.com). The articles describe the officers' actions during the traffic stop and arrest, including the use of force. However, they do not reference specific JSO policies that govern these actions. The sheriff's statements address the limitations of video evidence and the context of the incident, but not the specific policies that guide officer conduct in such situations. The discussion around the body camera footage focuses on its content and selective release rather than the JSO's policies for its use or accessibility.

McNeil’s lawyers plan to request a U.S. Department of Justice investigation. However, no information is given on what such an investigation entails or its potential impact. The provided search results confirm that McNeil's lawyers plan to request a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation. However, they do not elaborate on what such an investigation entails.

The articles do not detail the specific Jacksonville Sheriff's Office policies on use of force, traffic stops, or body camera usage. While the actions of the officers are described, the underlying departmental guidelines are not explained. The articles describe the officers' actions during the traffic stop and arrest, including the use of force. However, they do not reference specific JSO policies that govern these actions. The sheriff's statements address the limitations of video evidence and the context of the incident, but not the specific policies that guide officer conduct in such situations. The discussion around the body camera footage focuses on its content and selective release rather than the JSO's policies for its use or accessibility.

Darius Spearman has been a professor of Black Studies at San Diego City College since 2007. He is the author of several books, including Between The Color Lines: A History of African Americans on the California Frontier Through 1890. You can visit Darius online at africanelements.org.