Who is Will McNeil Jr.? #standwith904 trends as family seeks justice over viral video of Jacksonville man assaulted by police

The case of William “Will” McNeil Jr. has captured public attention since he was punched repeatedly by police at a traffic stop in Jacksonville in February 2025.

Civil rights groups and community activists have expressed outrage over the incident, which spread rapidly on social media with the hashtag #StandWith904, as they demanded accountability and justice.

According to Will McNeil Jr.’s Facebook bio, he is a Jacksonville, Florida based digital creator who currently resides in Columbia, South Carolina and studies at Livingstone College. He has also listed himself as an entrepreneur. On February 19, McNeil was stopped by sheriff’s deputies for what they said was driving with his headlights off in wet weather and not wearing a seatbelt.

@904Will 💔 https://t.co/XBKaBwZBuO

— William LaVant (@WilliamLavant) July 21, 2025

Video footage from the incident shows Will McNeil Jr. questioning the stop and requesting to talk to a supervisor, and saying he is afraid to get out of his vehicle.

Once tensions increased, Deputy D. Bowers broke the car window of McNeil’s car and punched him in the face. Deputies then dragged McNeil from the car, threw him to the pavement and hit him again. Footage from JSO bodycam footage, which was later released, showed McNeil had his hands in the air before he was pulled out of his car.

A look into the aftermath of Will McNeil Jr.'s arrest

The footage was discussed by Sheriff T.K. Waters at a news conference, who said that the State Attorney’s Office had found that there was no criminal misconduct on the part of the deputies involved in the arrest.

But an administrative review is underway to investigate whether any department policies were broken. Deputy Bowers has since been assigned to administrative duties, while the agency completes the review.

Officer Bowers has been stripped of his law enforcement authority... Force absolutely looks ugly, and because all force is ugly, whether or not the officer involved acted within outside JSO policy, that's still what we're investigating." Waters said in a statement.

McNeil’s family’s legal team, which is being led by high-profile civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Harry Daniels, has condemned the officers’ use of force and intends to take legal action.

Arrest report reveals what Jacksonville Sheriff's Office cops allegedly found in Will McNeil Jr.'s car in viral traffic stop. SEE UPDATES: https://t.co/ANoE972w5X pic.twitter.com/06r265zZgv

— TheShadeRoom (@TheShadeRoom) July 21, 2025

Will McNeil Jr. was not a threat and was acting well within his constitutional rights when the situation got out of hand, Crump said. McNeil sustained a concussion, stitches to his face and has short-term memory loss that persisted from the encounter, Daniels added.

"This officer broke his window and just punched him in his face. Mr. McNeil suffered very significant injury... We are seeking all options to ensure accountability." Harry Daniels told ABC News.

Community groups, including the Jacksonville NAACP and the Jacksonville Community Action Committee, have criticized the officers’ actions and called for more transparency (Jax Today). They have requested for the complete release of the bodycam footage and that the responsible parties be held accountable.

#StandWith904 is emerging as a hashtag that supports Will McNeil Jr. and calls for systemic changes in law enforcement practices as public pressure grows.