JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An officer, who was at the center of a widely shared traffic stop arrest, has had his police powers reinstated, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

In February 2025, William McNeil Jr. was stopped by JSO officers. Body camera footage captured the moment he was forcibly removed from his vehicle, restrained on the ground, and subsequently arrested. The footage, which showed Officer Donald Bowers striking McNeil, quickly went viral, igniting public outcry both locally in Jacksonville and nationally.

By August, the State Attorney’s Office had wrapped up their investigation, concluding that Officer Bowers’ actions were “lawful” and deciding against filing any charges. Following this, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office conducted its own internal review to identify any “potential policy violations.”

While Officer Bowers was cleared of the administrative charge related to Unnecessary Force, the sheriff’s office confirmed that he was found in violation of a different administrative policy: Failure to Conform to Work Standards. This was due to his omission of the initial strike against McNeil in his official Response to Resistance report.

JSO states that Bowers had been issued a Written Reprimand Level 1, and due to the investigation being complete, his law enforcement authority has been restored.

First Coast News has asked McNeil’s attorney, Ben Crump, for comment; however, at the time of publishing, we have not heard back.