Florida officer suspended over viral traffic stop footage

July 23, 2025

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has suspended Officer D Bowers, who was captured on video punching and dragging 22-year-old William McNeil Jr during a February traffic stop. Though state prosecutors found no criminal misconduct by the officers involved, an internal administrative review remains ongoing. The incident gained widespread attention after McNeil posted his own video of the encounter on Instagram, prompting police to release bodycam footage showing McNeil refusing to exit his vehicle after being pulled over for alleged traffic violations including not wearing a seatbelt and driving without headlights in poor weather.

Who is affected

William McNeil Jr, the 22-year-old driver who was punched, suffered a chipped tooth, required stitches to his mouth, and experienced a concussion
Officer D Bowers, who has been stripped of law-enforcement duties pending review
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, which is conducting an internal review
Black Americans, as referenced by civil rights attorney Ben Crump who described the incident as "a disturbing reminder" of historical racial violence by police

What action is being taken

Officer D Bowers has been suspended from law-enforcement duties
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is conducting an internal administrative review
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing William McNeil Jr
The sheriff's office has released bodycam footage of the incident

Why it matters

The incident raises questions about appropriate use of force during traffic stops
The case highlights tensions between police requirements for compliance and public concerns about excessive force
Civil rights attorney Ben Crump connects this incident to historical patterns of racial violence by police against Black Americans
The contrasting perspectives between McNeil's social media video and the police bodycam footage demonstrate differing viewpoints about what occurred during the encounter

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC