Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters announced that Officer Bowers, who was seen on a viral video punching a man during a traffic stop recently, has been stripped of his police powers—despite the State Attorney’s Office determining that no criminal laws were broken by any officers involved in the incident.
At a press conference, Sheriff Waters released full body camera footage from all three officers involved in the arrest of Will McNeil Jr. and emphasized his commitment to transparency, even when it reflects negatively on his department.
“We’re going to show the public everything—even when it doesn’t look good,” Waters said.
The incident occurred in February when Officer Bowers pulled over McNeil for allegedly not having his headlights on in what Bowers described as “bad weather.”
However, the bodycam footage shows clear skies at the time of the stop. When asked for identification, McNeil refused and requested a supervisor. He then locked his car doors.
Officer Bowers called for backup and threatened to break McNeil’s car window. When McNeil still refused to exit the vehicle, officers shattered the window, forcibly removed him, and according to McNeil’s own cellphone video—which has since gone viral—Bowers punched him in the face twice. That portion of the encounter was not captured on the officers’ body-worn cameras.
After McNeil’s arrest, police reported discovering a knife under the driver’s seat. Bodycam footage also shows Officer Miller turning off McNeil’s recording phone after the altercation, a move that has drawn additional scrutiny.
McNeil’s attorney stated that his client sustained a concussion, chipped tooth, facial injuries requiring stitches, and now suffers from memory loss. He was later convicted of resisting arrest without violence and driving with a suspended license. Other charges were dismissed.
Sheriff Waters said his office only became aware of the viral video footage this past weekend and has since launched a full internal review.
“This is not over,” he said.
While no criminal charges will be filed against the officers, Bowers’ removal from duty signals potential disciplinary action pending the outcome of the department’s administrative investigation.
