Having headlights off during inclement weather was cited as the reason why officers pulled William McNeil over in a now-viral February traffic stop.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sheriff T.K. Waters of Jacksonville shared body camera footage on Monday from a traffic stop in February that has gained widespread attention online. He stated that the release was for the purpose of transparency and to provide additional details to the public.
The traffic stop, which occurred on February 19 and has since accumulated millions of views and significant media coverage, reportedly shows officers striking a man named William McNeil Jr. in the head several times after he refuses to exit his vehicle.
According to the police report, the initial reason officers pulled over McNeil, aged 22, was due to his failure to turn on his headlights during adverse weather conditions, which is a violation of Florida law.
In the newly released body camera footage, three JSO squad cars appear to not have their headlights turned on in what Ofc. D.J. Bowers stated was inclement weather.
Bowers, the officer who pulled over McNeil for the violation, does not appear to have his headlights on as he leaves his squad car.
According to Florida statute 316.217, drivers are required to have their headlights on between sunset and sunrise, and during any rain, smoke or fog.
This Florida statute says law enforcement vehicles can operate without their headlights on during these times if the following conditions apply:
- The operation of the vehicle without headlights is necessary to the performance of law enforcement officers’ duties.
- The law enforcement agency has a written policy authorizing and providing guidelines for vehicle operation without the display of headlights.
- The law enforcement vehicle is operated in compliance with agency policy.
- The operation without the display of headlights can be safely accomplished.
Alongside Bowers, two assisting officers’ squad cars appeared to arrive at the scene without their headlights on. Two more assisting officers arrived with their headlights turned on.
First Coast News has reached out to JSO for their policy on operating vehicles without headlights on, and will update this story with that policy once it’s provided.
What happened?
In the original cell phone video, officers with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office say they pulled McNeil over because the vehicle’s headlights were not on. McNeil questioned the traffic stop because it wasn’t raining and it was still light outside.
An officer, who cannot be seen in the video, is heard saying, “It doesn’t matter, you’re still required to have headlights on.”
An officer asks McNeil to step out of the car, and when McNeil asks for the officer’s supervisor, another officer punches the driver’s window until it shatters. The officer then punches McNeil in the head before unlocking the vehicle door, unbuckling his seatbelt and forcibly removing him from the driver’s seat.
Once out of the vehicle, multiple officers then gather around McNeil. One officer is seen grabbing McNeil’s head and punching him in the chin before forcing him to the ground.
The video, posted early Sunday, has garnered hundreds of thousands of views online.
“I am absolutely disgusted by the actions of these officers but, unfortunately, I’m not surprised,” said Daniels. “The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has a long history of this kind of needless violence and brutality.”
“It should be obvious to anyone watching this video that William McNeil wasn’t a threat to anyone,” Crump added. “He was calmly exercising his constitutional rights and they beat him for it.”
Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters issued a statement Sunday afternoon addressing the video, saying, “We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing a traffic stop represented to be from February 19, 2025. We have launched an internal investigation into it and the circumstances surrounding this incident. We hold our officers to the highest standards and are committed to thoroughly determining exactly what occurred.”
We asked First Coast News Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson about the headlights law in Florida.
“What was the probable cause for the stop? The statute for pulling someone over for driving without your headlights is if it’s foggy, smoky or rainy. Based on the video I watched, it looked like the sun was out,” he said.
Daniels said it took months for his client to recover.
“His tooth went through his lip at some point. He had to get stitches. From getting slammed on the ground, he suffered a closed-head injury,” Daniels said.
He said the ideal outcome would be that the officers involved are held accountable.
“That officer that punched and beat him and the ones who watched and did nothing should be held to the same rule of law that everyone else is held to. Arrest and prosecution. That’s a perfect world,” Daniels said.
A JSO spokesperson told First Coast News the agency is unaware of any filed complaint matching the video description.
Additionally, Florida Rep. Angie Nixon posted on social media about the video Sunday, saying she reached out to the sheriff’s office to meet about the incident.
