Who Is William McNeil? What To Know About His Florida Arrest

The footage of William McNeil's arrest and subsequent beating at the hands of Jacksonville, Florida sheriff's deputies went viral in late July, resulting in a slew of reactions across social media.

The video has since become the subject of intense attention, and McNeil's been open about the lasting trauma he's experienced in the months since his February arrest.

We're going to look into the background of the man who took the video of his own traffic stop ... and see what legal options he's explored since the incident occurred.

McNeil is a biology major currently enrolled at Livingstone College, a historically Black college in North Carolina, according to CNN.

He's a member of the school's marching band ... his mother, Latoya, described her son as a self-taught musician who plays at his local church.

McNeil's mother characterized him as "a mentor of all the children in the neighborhood," as well as a "really, really good man of God."

Livingstone College's president Anthony Davis commended McNeil for showing restraint, and said the young man frequently volunteered in his community on weekends.

McNeill's stepfather Alton claimed he'd "been through what he’s been through" as a young man, and he was greatly distressed to see his stepson undergo a similar experience with law enforcement.

McNeil was pulled over by deputies on February 19, 2025, for allegedly not having his headlights on while driving in the rain, and for allegedly not wearing his seat belt. He opened his door to talk to the first deputy, explaining his window was broken and wouldn't roll down.

He then closed the door and locked himself in the car, and had a verbal exchange with the deputies about the necessity of the traffic stop, and he asked if the law regarding headlight use could be verified before asking to see the deputies' supervisor. He pointed out it wasn't raining.

A deputy, later identified as Officer D. Bowers, then smashed McNeil's window and punched him in the face before the other deputies dragged him out of the car and pulled him to the ground, after which he was struck in the face again.

McNeil was arrested and charged with resisting an officer without resistance, as well as possession of marijuana and paraphernalia. A knife was also found in his car during a search of the vehicle after he'd been taken into custody.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters stated McNeil pled guilty to and was adjudicated guilty of resisting a police officer without violence, as well as driving with a suspended license.

McNeil was left with a busted lip after the arrest, which required several stitches to patch up, according to CBS News.

He also claimed one of his teeth ended up chipped, and he said he suffered both a concussion and short-term memory loss from the incident.

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office issued a statement to confirm it was investigating the incident after the video went viral, although the office added the Florida State's Attorney's Office had determined "none of the involved officers violated criminal law" when McNeil was arrested.

Waters also revealed Bowers had been stripped of his duty while an internal investigation was being completed, although he didn't make any comments regarding the deputy's behavior during the arrest.

Body camera footage from the event was later released, and Waters claimed McNeil's viral video "does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding this incident."

McNeil has said he was still feeling shock from the arrest in an interview with ABC News, where he claimed he hadn't driven his car for an extended period of time.

He also stated he "can't get sleep at night because of trauma," which resulted in frequent "flashbacks and nightmares."

McNeil has since retained the services of civil rights attorney Ben Crump to represent him as he explores his legal options regarding the arrest.

Crump spoke to us and claimed the incident was a case of "driving while Black" and called on the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to "immediately terminate" the officer who punched McNeil.