High-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump stood alongside 22-year-old William Anthony McNeil Jr. on July 23 as McNeil publicly spoke for the first time since his violent arrest.
McNeil’s Feb. 19 arrest video came to light in recent days. It showed McNeil in a video being punched in the face during a traffic stop, after police said McNeil was resisting. Police said they stopped McNeil for not having his traffic lights on in inclement weather.
Standing alongside his attorneys before a crowd of community members, family, and reporters at St. Paul Church on Winton Drive in Jacksonville, McNeil listened as Crump and associate Harry Daniels opened the briefing by calling for accountability and justice.
“This was a classic case of driving while Black,” Crump said.
After their remarks, McNeil stepped forward to share his own experience, speaking publicly for the first time since the incident.
What did William Anthony McNeil Jr. say?
McNeil’s statement was brief and his voice low.
“First of all, I thank God for bringing everybody here together, thank God for supporting me,” McNeil said. Adding, “That day, I just really wanted to know why I was getting pulled over, and why I needed to step out of the car. I know I didn’t do nothing wrong. I was really just scared, and that’s it.”
When asked by a CBS News reporter about what he was taught growing up about police encounters, McNeil replied, “Basically what I was taught is to instead of fighting them on the street where we don’t have power, we fight them in court.”
Pressed further about what was going through his mind during the incident, he said simply: “A lot. A lot going through.”
What injuries did McNeil Jr. suffer from the police confrontation?
Crump, who called the incident “a horrific, brutal encounter,” described the physical toll the arrest took on McNeil, alleging that police “were banging his head against the concrete while he was in handcuffs.” He added, “This is not good policing. Nobody can say this is good policing.”
Daniels provided further detail, saying McNeil suffered permanent injuries, including a fractured tooth that punctured his lip, requiring stitches. McNeil also suffered a concussion and remains under medical evaluation.
“It’s a long recovery for him,” Daniels said. “We need to make sure William gets the help he needs so he can get back on track.”
The attorneys said they are exploring legal action and called for accountability from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The case has drawn renewed attention amid ongoing national conversations around police use of force and racial profiling.
How did McNeil’s parents react to their son’s arrest?
McNeil’s mother, Latoya Solomon, said she initially couldn’t watch the video past when the window was smashed and only watched it all later.
McNeil’s stepfather, Alton Solomon, said he knows how his son felt because something similar happened to himwhen he was the same age, 22.
“To see that is a hurt feeling,” he said in tears.
Why did Jacksonville police arrest McNeil?
The arrest stemmed from a traffic stop where McNeil was pulled over for not having headlights on during inclement weather, leading to a resisting arrest charge.
What was William Anthony McNeil Jr. charged with?
Court records show that McNeil pleaded guilty to resisting police without violence and driving with a suspended license, two days after his arrest.
He was sentenced to two days already served in jail and a misdemeanor marijuana charge was dropped.
What was the JSO’s response to the viral video filmed by McNeil?
During an evening news conference, the sheriff said he knew nothing of McNeil’s arrest until July 20 when he was notified about a social media post describing the arrest but showing only a portion of the encounter.
Sheriff T.K. Waters added that McNeil hadn’t filed a complaint about his handling during the arrest; if he had, “we would have been all over” that.
Will Jacksonville officers be reprimanded for punching the suspect during arrest?
As of Monday evening, during the July 21 sheriff’s conference, prosecutors have determined that the arresting officer did not commit any crimes, according to Waters. However, Waters said he could neither condone nor condemn the officer’s actions during the stop and arrest because it was still under review by his agency.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: ‘I was scared:’ William McNeil Jr. talks about his arrest beside Ben Crump-led legal team
Reporting by Doris Alvarez Cea and Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
