A South Florida lawmaker publicly condemned the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office after a video surfaced showing a deputy repeatedly punching an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop.
William McNeil Jr., 22, recorded the February encounter on his phone.
In the video, a deputy breaks through the driver’s side window, hits McNeil, and pulls him from the car — before he’s held and struck by multiple officers and forced to the ground.
Authorities said McNeil had been pulled over because his headlights were off.
In a statement, State Senator Shevrin Jones, a Democrat, called the incident “deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable.” Jones said the violent traffic stop reflects a broader pattern of racial bias in policing.
McNeil has since hired prominent civil rights attorneys, including Ben Crump — who represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
McNeil’s defense team says he suffered multiple injuries and a concussion.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office says it has launched an internal investigation.
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