William McNeil Jr., a 22-year-old man from Florida, is set to speak about his violent arrest during a press conference outside the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday morning. The incident, which occurred on February 19, gained widespread attention after a two-minute cell phone video recorded by McNeil went viral. In response, the sheriff's office announced an investigation into the arrest.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters released body camera footage from two deputies involved in the arrest. The videos show deputies striking and punching McNeil during a traffic stop after he questioned the reason for being pulled over and refused to exit his vehicle.

According to a police report, McNeil was stopped at 4:15 p.m. for allegedly not having his headlights on during inclement weather and for not wearing a seatbelt. However, McNeil argued that it was not raining and requested to speak with a supervisor. When he locked himself inside his car, a deputy threatened to break the window and called for backup.

The body camera footage captures the moment a deputy, identified as D. Bowers, broke McNeil’s car window and punched him in the face while he was still seated. Following this, McNeil was forcibly removed from the vehicle and subdued by multiple deputies. Officers can be heard stating, "You're under arrest," as they restrained him on the ground.

Court records indicate that McNeil was charged with several offenses, including resisting arrest without violence, possession of marijuana, driving with a suspended license, and not wearing a seatbelt. He served two days in jail for resisting arrest and driving with a suspended license. Sheriff Waters acknowledged that while the use of force appears severe, the investigation will determine if the deputies acted within the agency's policies.

In the incident report, Deputy Bowers did not mention punching McNeil while he was in the car but stated that force was used after he was removed. Bowers claimed that McNeil reached for a knife on the floor of his vehicle as officers opened the door. However, the body camera footage does not show McNeil reaching for a knife, although an object identified as a knife was later recovered from the car.

When questioned about the knife claim, Sheriff Waters admitted, "I can't assume, no one can assume," regarding the video evidence. McNeil's attorney, Harry Daniels, called the assertion that McNeil reached for a knife a "lie" and criticized the deputy for omitting details about the punch in the report.

Waters announced that the State Attorney's Office found no criminal violations by the involved officers, but an administrative review is underway to assess whether the deputies violated department policies. As a precaution, Officer Bowers has been stripped of his law enforcement authority, though it remains unclear if other deputies involved have been placed on administrative leave.

Daniels stated that McNeil plans to pursue legal action, emphasizing the severity of his client's injuries. "This officer broke his window and just punched him in his face. Mr. McNeil suffered very significant injury," Daniels said. He added that they are exploring all options to ensure accountability.