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police-misconduct · Jacksonville, Florida

Will McNeil Jr. Files Federal Lawsuit After Jacksonville Traffic Stop Incident

What happened?

Lawsuit or settlement

Will McNeil Jr.

5 sourcesLast checked Aug 24, 2026

By AfterTheClip Research

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Timeline

  1. Jacksonville Sheriff's Office officers, including D.J. Bowers, forcibly remove Will McNeil Jr. from his vehicle and arrest him during a traffic stop in Jacksonville, Florida.

  2. The video of the incident began circulating widely on social media, prompting the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office to conduct an internal investigation.

  3. Civil rights groups condemned the arrest, and Attorney Ben Crump became involved in the case, with Harry Daniels joining him to represent McNeil.

  4. Will McNeil Jr.

  5. JSO releases the results of its internal investigation: Officer D.J. Bowers is cleared of unnecessary force but reprimanded for omitting his initial strike from his report, and returns to full duty.

  6. Reports confirm Sheriff T.K. Waters has been dismissed as a defendant in the federal civil rights lawsuit.

  7. The State Attorney's Office for the 4th Judicial Circuit concluded that no criminal charges would be filed against the involved officers.

What people are asking

What happened to William McNeil Jr.?

Will McNeil Jr. pleaded guilty to resisting an officer without violence and driving with a suspended license, receiving two days of time served. His legal team asserts this plea was made under duress and while he was suffering from a concussion. He also filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the involved officers and the City of Jacksonville.

How much is William McNeil Jr. suing for?

The provided sources do not specify the exact monetary amount Will McNeil Jr. is seeking in his federal civil rights lawsuit.

How many police officers does the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office have?

The provided sources do not contain information regarding the total number of police officers employed by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office.

Why do police officers touch the car they pull over?

The provided sources do not discuss the general practice of police officers touching a car during a traffic stop.

Receipts

How we researched this & corrections

Information was gathered from public reports by news organizations and official statements regarding the incident and subsequent legal actions.

  • Aug 24, 2026 — An internal investigation by the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, concluded in January 2026, exonerated Officer D.J. Bowers of using unnecessary force during the February 2025 traffic stop of Will McNeil Jr. However, the investigation resulted in a Level 1 written reprimand for Officer Bowers for failing to document an open-handed strike to the driver's face in his initial report. Additionally, Sheriff T.K. Waters has been dismissed as a defendant in the ongoing federal civil rights lawsuit filed by McNeil.
  • Sep 20, 2026 — Repeated timeline entries were consolidated and conflicting event dates or descriptions were corrected against the cited reporting. Supporting citations have been retained.

Spot something wrong? Corrections: corrections@aftertheclip.com.

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