Florida man speaks out after violent police arrest goes viral on TikTok

William McNeil Jr. is speaking out after his viral TikTok video captured the moment a Jacksonville police officer violently smashed his car window and punched him – an arrest that has stunned viewers and prompted an outpouring of support.

In the self-recorded footage, McNeil, a biology student who played in the marching band at Livingstone College, asked to speak to the Jacksonville officers’ supervisor before being dragged out of the car and hit.

  YouTube

At a press conference, McNeil shared: "That day, I just really wanted to know why I was getting pulled over and why I needed to step out of the car when I knew I didn't do nothing wrong. I was really just scared."

His stepfather then shared a few words, recalling how the video made him "upset."

"To see that, is a hurting feeling," an emotional Alton Solomon said.

  - YouTube  www.youtube.com  

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stood by law enforcement, suggesting the viral video was shared to push a "narrative" and stir up social media attention.

"That’s what happens in so many of these things," DeSantis shared. "There’s a rush to judgment. There’s a, there’s a desire to try to get views and clicks by creating division."

DeSantis said he hadn't yet reviewed the viral video.

Body camera footage allegedly shows McNeil repeatedly being asked to exit the vehicle, according to The Guardian. And despite initially having his car door open while talking with police, he reportedly closed it and locked it for around three minutes before being forcibly removed.

On Wednesday (23 July), civil rights attorney Ben Crump defended his client’s actions, stating he was well within his rights to question the traffic stop and request a supervisor.

"America, we’re better than this, we’re at a crossroads," he said. "We are a democracy, we believe in the constitution. We are not a police state where the police can do anything they want to citizens without any accountability."

Indy100 reached out to Jacksonville authorities for comment

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