JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The Jacksonville police officer investigated for unnecessary force in a viral traffic stop last year has now returned to his normal duties.
Civil rights attorney Harry Daniels, representing William McNeil, Jr., the Jacksonville man punched in the face by Officer Donald Bowers in the viral traffic stop last February, is sharing his response to Action News Jax.
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In a statement, Daniels said:
“The internal investigation reflects JSO’s biased view of the events that took place on the day of the incident. Mr. McNeil has initiated a federal lawsuit against the sheriff and others to ensure accountability for the brutal beating he endured. It is crucial for citizens to demand accountability for misconduct, both at the ballot box and in the legal system, as JSO shows no interest in addressing the actions of its officers.”
We first reported last summer when the viral video of William McNeil, Jr.’s traffic stop had been posted. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said McNeil was pulled over for having his headlights and seatbelt off while driving in the rain. Body camera video from Officer Donald Bowers shows McNeil, Jr. arguing with the officer after being pulled over, then refusing multiple demands to get out of his car after being told he was under arrest.
The video then shows McNeil, Jr. get in his car and lock it before Officer Bowers smashed his driver’s side window and punched him in the face.
Back in August, we reported when the state attorney’s office ruled that Officer Bowers hadn’t broken any laws in his use of force. This week, JSO released the results of its own use-of-force investigation into Officer Bowers’ actions and said his use of force was both legal and not unnecessary.
JSO’s report on the investigation said Officer Bowers was given a written reprimand for not including his initial punch to McNeil, Jr.’s face in his report regarding the traffic stop. JSO said Bowers told investigators that “he did not think of the strike as a ‘use of force’ but as a ‘tool’” to distract McNeil, Jr. JSO later wrote that, although any strike should always be considered a use of force, “a diversionary strike was a totally reasonable thing.”
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Action News Jax asked JSO what exactly Officer Bowers’ “written reprimand” means in the context of the investigation. We were told that the reprimand was a “documented discipline” that will go into Officer Bowers’ file. But, after being put on leave following the traffic stop, his law enforcement authority has now been restored.
“This seems more like a tap on the wrist and not even a slap,” said Jacksonville democratic state representative Angie Nixon, who has been vocal about the traffic stop and has developed a relationship with McNeil, Jr.’s family.
Nixon told us she was “baffled” to see Officer Bowers return to work.
“I don’t know any job that you can go on where you can cuss people out, where you can punch people in the face, and where you don’t basically get in trouble for it,” Nixon said.
Action News Jax also reached out to civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who was also hired by McNeil, Jr.’s family to represent him. We are still waiting to hear back.
McNeil, Jr. still has a federal filed lawsuit open against Officer Bowers and Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters regarding the traffic stop. There are no court dates scheduled at this time, but this week, Sheriff Waters filed a motion to have his name dropped from the lawsuit.
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