By JFP Staff Reporter| Police lined the streets to ensure that the Jacksonville Community Action Committee along with other community partners and community leaders rally received protection as they peacefully protested the treatment of William McNeil.
McNeil, a 22-year-old HBCU student, was pulled over by Jacksonville sheriff’s officers in February during a traffic stop earlier this year. Body camera video shows officers yanking him from his vehicle, pinning him to the ground and arresting him. Months later, footage from McNeil’s cell phone was released in a now viral video showing officers punching him in the face and sparked public outrage.
The State Attorney’s Office later determined the officers involved did not violate any criminal laws — a decision activists say must be revisited.
Protestors recently stood on the steps of the courthouse to demand State Attorney Melissa Nelson reopen the criminal investigation into the actions of Officer Bowers and all the other officers involved in the brutal use of excessive force used on McNeil Jr.
The organizers demanded State Attorney Melissa Nelson assure the community that her office isn’t compromised and implore her to do the right thing and properly investigate excessive force used by JSO officers. Other families involved in JSO police brutality including the family of Charles Faggart were in attendance as well.
Organizers say Saturday’s rally was only the beginning — and if the State Attorney doesn’t respond, more protests could follow.
Attorneys for William McNeil said they want to seek criminal charges against the officer involved and possibly the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which they claim allows its officers to continue using a pattern of excessive force against Black citizens. McNeil’s attorneys said they plan to file a federal civil rights lawsuit over McNeil’s arrest and also challenge his conviction.
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