‘Traumatic brain injury and PTSD’: Black student beaten by cops over headlights during traffic stop files federal lawsuit

A 22-year-old Black college student has filed a federal lawsuit against Jacksonville police officers and the city after a traffic stop turned violent earlier this year. William McNeil Jr., a biology student at Livingstone College in North Carolina, was pulled over on February 19, 2025, for allegedly not having his headlights on and not wearing a seatbelt.

The incident, captured on video by McNeil himself, shows officers breaking his car window and punching him in the face when he asked to speak with a supervisor. The video went viral on social media over the summer, sparking nationwide outrage about police brutality. McNeil was studying to become a doctor and also served as the leader of his college’s marching band.

According to his lawyers, obtained by Court TV, McNeil suffered severe injuries from the assault. The lawsuit states that McNeil sustained “a laceration to the chin and lip, a fractured tooth, and has been diagnosed with an ongoing traumatic brain injury.” His attorneys also report that he continues to experience PTSD-like symptoms, including nightmares and flashbacks from the incident. These injuries have affected his memory and cognitive abilities, making his studies more difficult.

Ben Crump takes on high-profile police brutality cases

The federal lawsuit was filed by prominent civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who has represented families in many high-profile police brutality cases. Crump previously represented the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Trayvon Martin. He has won more than 200 cases related to police brutality alone and recently achieved a record $45 million settlement for Randy Cox, who was paralyzed during police transport.

Crump and co-counsel Harry Daniels argue that the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has policies that allow officers to use excessive force without consequences. They claim the department investigated 424 allegations of excessive force from 2022 to 2024, but only three were found to be valid. The attorneys called the incident “an unjustifiable, unnecessary and most importantly unconstitutional use of force.”

The lawsuit names multiple defendants, including Sheriff T.K. Waters, Officer D. Bowers who struck McNeil, Officer D. Miller, and the City of Jacksonville. McNeil is seeking at least $100,000 in damages for physical and emotional pain, plus $100,000 in punitive damages. His legal team has also asked the Department of Justice to investigate what they call “systemic failures” by Jacksonville officials.

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters defended his officers’ actions, saying the viral cellphone video “does not comprehensively capture the circumstances surrounding the incident.” Waters stated that McNeil repeatedly refused orders to exit his vehicle, which he claimed justified the use of force. However, prosecutors announced in August that they would not file criminal charges against the officers involved, despite the growing scrutiny of police conduct in high-profile cases. This decision has only added to concerns about accountability in law enforcement, particularly in cases involving police interactions with minorities.