JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters will address footage of a now-viral February traffic stop on West Palm Avenue, showing officers using force to remove a man from his car. 

The incident took place Feb. 19 and involved William McNeil Jr.

In a police report, officers said they pulled McNeil over for not having his headlights on in inclement weather, and for not wearing his seatbelt.

The original cell phone video of the incident garnered hundreds of thousands of views on social media, sparking national outrage after showing the JSO officers punching McNeil in the face to get him out of his car.

Waters said he released the video in the interest of transparency, wanting to show the full context of the incident to the public.

“One piece of evidence considered in a vacuum without any context can lead to skewed conclusions,” Waters said of the viral cell phone footage. “When incomplete cell phone camera footage becomes the basis on which public opinion turns, the results can be equally faulty. A rush to judgment, whether it be in a criminal investigation or in a court of public opinion can lead to flawed conclusions.”

You can watch the full press conference with Sheriff T.K. Waters, including the body camera footage, here:

Waters shared body camera footage from Ofc. D.J. Bowers and Ofc. D. Miller, two officers who played part in McNeil’s arrest.

Ofc. D.J. Bowers was the arresting officer in the incident, and the officer who initially pulled over McNeil. 

The body camera footage shows Bowers walking up to McNeil’s car as McNeil opens the driver-side door.

Bowers asks McNeil if there’s a reason why he’s opening his door, to which McNeil says he doesn’t have a working window. McNeil then retorts, asking Bowers if he had a reason why he pulled him over. 

Bowers told McNeil he didn’t have his lights on in inclement weather, and that he didn’t have his seatbelt on. 

McNeil then says “it’s daylight, I don’t need the lights…It’s not raining.”

Bowers then tells McNeil to provide his driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance, to which McNeil asks him to call for a supervisor. 

At this point, Bowers calls for assistance over his radio due to an “uncooperative adult driver.” 

Bowers then tells McNeil to step out of the car, to which McNeil slams his car door shut, locking himself inside.

McNeil is heard inside the car shouting for Bowers to call for his supervisor, and demanding a reason why he was pulled over.

Bowers then calls over his radio for responding units to block in McNeil’s car. 

Bowers tells McNeil for the first time that he’s under arrest for “resisting,” and commands him to exit the car.

When commanded to show Bowers his hands, McNeil is heard shouting that he could see them.

Bowers gives McNeil four separate commands to open the door and exit, or else he would break his window. He gave multiple commands telling McNeil he was under arrest for resisting. McNeil is heard shouting for Bowers to call his supervisor. 

A responding officer begins speaking with McNeil on the other side of the car. Bowers says to responding officers that he’s going to break the window, at which point he’s given a go-ahead, and he proceeds to smash the window.

While not shown on video, Bowers then punches McNeil across the face, commanding him to exit the vehicle. 

A responding officer opens the door and removes McNeil from the car. 

Once McNeil is out of the car, Bowers then grabs McNeil by the back of the head, briefly releases him, and punches McNeil in the head again.

McNeil is taken to the ground, and Bowers holds the back of his head, forcing it down.

As McNeil is taken into custody, Bowers’ body camera captures his face, visibly bloody. Bowers calls for an ambulance shortly after this.

Miller is shown at the beginning of his body camera footage blocking in McNeil’s car with his own squad car.

He then approaches McNeil from the passenger side, talking to him through a cracked rear passenger window. 

In a calm manor, Miller tells McNeil he needs to comply with the traffic stop, before moving Bowers’ squad car forward.

He then approaches McNeil again, starting a conversation with him. 

McNeil explains the details of the traffic stop, telling Miller the reason he was pulled over was because his headlights were off in inclement weather.

Miller says this was a legitimate reason to pull him over, to which McNeil states there was no rain.

Miller says “it doesn’t matter,” that his headlights need to be on.

Notably, it’s shown in Miller’s body camera video that both his squad car’s headlights and Bowers’ squad car’s headlights were off at the time of the incident.

McNeil is heard asking Miller if he’ll call his supervisor. Bowers tells Miller he’s going to break the window, to which Miller says “go for it.”

Miller then assists Bowers in removing McNeil, unbuckling his seatbelt and helping responding officers force McNeil to the ground.

Another officer is shown looking into McNeil’s car, observing a large knife, which is then caught on Miller’s body camera. 

The knife was shown on the floor board of the car, unsheathed.