VIDEO: The Jacksonville police responded after stopping a man named Will McNeil Jr.

The Jacksonville police responded after stopping a man named Will McNeil Jr. 

In a trending video, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are seen breaking or smashing the glass of Will McNeil Jr.'s car due to a headlight issue.  

A viral video involving the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has reignited discussions about police brutality on social media. Will McNeil Jr. initially shared the video on his Instagram account on July 20, which has since garnered over 104,000 likes and more than 20,000 comments.  

In his caption, McNeil disclosed that he sustained multiple serious injuries after what started as a routine traffic stop escalated into a chaotic restraint by at least three officers. In a recent update, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has addressed the widely-discussed and alarming incident.  

As noted, social media users are expressing their opinions regarding what appears to be excessive force used by the Jacksonville officers. The incident reportedly took place earlier this year. McNeil's video opens with the 22-year-old conversing with an officer who is off-screen, seemingly standing by the passenger window. The officer appeared to be listening, occasionally interjecting with acknowledgments like “yeah.”  

Will seemed to be trying to clarify the reason for the traffic stop. He mentioned that the officer informed him the stop was related to his headlights being off. Eventually, the same officer replied, “It doesn’t matter,” asserting that Will still needed to have his headlights on. The officer then instructed him to exit the car, promising that he would explain the relevant “law” concerning headlights afterward. McNeil responded by requesting the officer to call his supervisor twice.  

In the background of the video, another officer, a Caucasian man wearing black-framed glasses, stood next to the driver’s side window. When McNeil asked for the supervisor the second time, the officer he was speaking with seemingly instructed the officer by the driver’s side, “Alright go for it.” At that moment, the officer shattered Will’s car window and struck him in the face while shouting, “Exit the vehicle now.”  

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