Will McNeil Jr. sits in his car seconds after his window is smashed and he is punched in the face during a traffic stop, as recorded on his video camera. | Will McNeil Jr.
Published on January 9, 2026 at 5:02 pm
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A police officer from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has been reprimanded for failing to report that he punched a driver in the face during a traffic stop, but he was cleared of using unnecessary force.
Driver Will McNeil Jr. was punched and dragged from his car in February in an episode that attracted national attention. NcNeil posted a video of the arrest on social media that received millions of hits and thousands of comments, most suggesting he was mistreated.
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The State Attorney’s Office ruled earlier that Officer Donald Bowers acted lawfully and that no criminal charges would be filed against him. The Sheriff’s Office then completed an internal affairs investigation to determine whether department rules were violated.
That investigation, released Friday, states that Bowers was exonerated for his use of force. But he was reprimanded because he did not mention in his report that he struck McNeal.
Bowers was stripped of his law enforcement duties during the internal investigation, but his law enforcement authority has now been restored.
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The full internal affairs report on Bowers can be seen here:
Driver punched
McNeil was pulled over just after 4:15 p.m. Feb. 19 at West Palm and Commonwealth avenues because his vehicle “did not have its headlights or tail lights illuminated in inclement weather.” The officer also wrote that the driver was not wearing his seatbelt.
McNeil is shown wearing a seatbelt on a video, apparently shot from a camera mounted on his dashboard.
In the video, he tells the officer it’s not raining. The officer responds that “it doesn’t matter” and the driver is still required to have headlights on.
McNeil asks the officer to show him that law, which the officer says he will do “when you step out of the car,” the report said. McNeil asks for a supervisor, and a voice is heard saying “All right, go for it” as his window is smashed out.
McNeil is told to “exit the vehicle now,” then appears to get punched. Another officer demands McNeil get out, followed by another punch to his face.
The arrest report says McNeil reached for the floorboard of the vehicle “where a large knife was sitting” before he was pulled from the car.
In the video, McNeil holds up both hands and waits for the door to be opened. He is pulled out, grabbed by his head and shoved down, and a police officer then punches McNeil in the face again.
McNeil hired civil rights attorney Ben Crump. During a news conference, McNeil explained his behavior during the traffic stop.
“I just really wanted to know why I was getting pulled over and why I needed to step out the car,” he said. “And, I know I didn’t do nothing wrong.”
Crump said McNeil had a right to ask questions.
“He just kept asking simply, ‘Why are you stopping me?’ I mean, think about that,” Crump said. “I understand the sheriff said ‘anti-police.’ No, no, no. It’s not anti-police when an American citizen asks, ‘Why are you stopping me?’ That is an American citizen exercising his constitutional rights.”
In ruling the officer’s actions lawful, State Attorney Melissa Nelson said McNeil created a dangerous situation by refusing to follow officers’ instructions.
“It is important we take this opportunity to emphasize public safety during traffic stops,” Nelson wrote Aug. 13. “The narrative surrounding this incident has stirred up misinformation and, frankly, dangerous advice on how to conduct oneself during a stop.
“The criminal justice system provides many avenues for citizens to challenge the actions of police officers; however, physical resistance is not one of them.”
