Shevrin Jones, Angie Nixon ‘demand accountability’ after controversial Jacksonville Sheriff’s stop

A Florida Senator is among those outraged over a video appearing to show a Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) stop escalating to violence against a 22-year-old suspect.

“Once again, we are faced with a sickening reminder of the systemic issues that plague our law enforcement,” said Democratic Sen. Shevrin Jones of Miami Gardens.

“The video coming out of Jacksonville is deeply disturbing and completely unacceptable. To witness an officer assault an unarmed Black man during what should have been a routine traffic stop is a stark demonstration of the continued racial bias and excessive force that far too many Black individuals experience in our communities. Never mind the fact that the driver was baselessly stopped for not using headlights during broad daylight.”

The driver, William McNeil, was allegedly pulled over in February during the day for not having headlights on. As he noted in the video, which was just released, it was not raining.

JSO has said there is an internal investigation ongoing, but for Jones, the issue is systemic.

“This incident is not isolated; it is part of a painful pattern that further erodes trust between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect,” Jones added.

“We must demand accountability for this officer’s actions and work tirelessly to reform our justice system to ensure such egregious acts never happen again. My heart goes out to the victim, and I stand in solidarity with all those who demand justice and an end to police brutality.”

Democratic Rep. Angie Nixon of Jacksonville is also paying attention to this issue.

“I’ve reached out to the Sheriff’s Office. I’ll be sending a formal letter and request to meet about that, the deaths in the jail and other cases related to potential JSO misconduct,” she posted to social media this weekend.

Meanwhile, the Jacksonville Community Action Committee “is horrified and outraged by the brutal, unprovoked assault inflicted upon one of our residents, William McNeil, during a routine traffic stop on February 19th.”

And the Jacksonville NAACP seeks the release of bodycam footage and it is “calling for immediate answers from Sheriff TK Waters.”

“This troubling behavior from law enforcement highlights the very reasons why many African Americans, especially African American men, feel fear during traffic stops. Mr. McNeil posed no threat to the officers and certainly did not deserve such severe treatment.”

McNeil will have strong legal support: Civil rights lawyers Ben Crump and Harry Daniels will represent him.

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