A South Florida lawmaker condemned the Jacksonville Sheriff鈥檚 Office after a video surfaced showing a deputy repeatedly punching an unarmed Black man during a traffic stop.
In a statement, State Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Democrat from Miami Gardens, called the incident 鈥渄eeply disturbing and completely unacceptable.鈥� Jones said the violent traffic stop reflects a broader pattern of racial bias in policing.
William McNeil Jr., 22, recorded the February encounter on his phone.
In the video, a deputy breaks through the driver鈥檚 side window, hits McNeil, and pulls him from the car 鈥� before he鈥檚 held and struck by multiple officers and forced to the ground.
Authorities said McNeil had been pulled over because his headlights were off.
McNeil has since hired prominent civil rights attorneys, including Ben Crump 鈥� who represented the families of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
McNeil鈥檚 defense team says he suffered multiple injuries and a concussion.
The Jacksonville Sheriff鈥檚 Office says it has launched an internal investigation.
READ MORE: The world witnessed George Floyd's murder. 5 years later, what has changed?
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