A 22-year-old Black college student has filed a federal lawsuit against Jacksonville police officers and the city after a traffic stop turned violent earlier this year. William McNeil Jr., a biology student at Livingstone College in North Carolina, was pulled over on February 19, 2025, for allegedly not having his headlights on and not wearing a seatbelt.
The incident, captured on video by McNeil himself, shows officers breaking his car window and punching him in the face when he asked to speak with a supervisor. The video went viral on social media over the summer, sparking nationwide outrage about police brutality. McNeil was studying to become a doctor and also served as the leader of his college’s marching band.
