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3w ago

Prosecutors Clear Deputies in Viral Arrest; Officer Faces Suspension

Prosecutors declined to charge deputies in the viral traffic stop, prompting Officer D. Bowers’s suspension pending an internal review.

William McNeil Jr., 22-yr-old, center, answers a few questions as his Attorney Ben Crump, right, and his great-grandmother Annette James, left, stand at his side during a press conference.
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Overview

  • The State Attorney’s Office ruled on July 20 that no criminal laws were broken by deputies during William McNeil Jr.’s Feb. 19 traffic stop in Jacksonville.
  • Sheriff T.K. Waters announced that Officer D. Bowers has been stripped of his law-enforcement authority as the sheriff’s office conducts an administrative review of policy violations.
  • William McNeil Jr. and civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Harry Daniels held a July 23 press conference to demand accountability and announce plans for civil litigation.
  • McNeil suffered a concussion, a fractured tooth that pierced his lip requiring stitches and ongoing trauma symptoms that have left him afraid to drive.
  • Cellphone and body-cam footage shows deputies smashing McNeil’s window, punching him multiple times and dragging him from his vehicle over a headlight and seatbelt stop.