Livingstone College student in viral arrest video retains attorney Ben Crump
A man seen in a viral video of a traffic stop and violent arrest in Florida is a student at Livingston College in Salisbury.
William McNeil captured the incident on his cell phone after he was pulled over for his headlights being off in Jacksonville.
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In the video, you can see a deputy punching through the vehicle’s window and pulling McNeil from the car after they said he refused to get out.
However, the sheriff’s office said the viral video doesn’t tell the full story.
Channel 9 has learned that McNeil is now working with high-profile civil rights attorney Ben Crump.
“I stood in solidarity”
Livingstone College President Dr. Anthony J. Davis released a statement regarding the incident, saying:
“Today, I stood in solidarity with Attorney Benjamin Crump and the family of William McNeil, Jr., a biology major at our beloved Livingstone College, who was assaulted during a traffic stop by officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 19.
The entire Blue Bear Nation stands behind and beside Will, who is fighting for his, an all of our, civil rights to be protected from police brutality. On Feb. 19, Will’s rights were violated but he showed restraint, he showed resolve, and he showed resilience. That is the Blue Bear Way.
A member of the Blue Thunder Marching Band, Will demonstrates his humanity to his fellow students and the community as a formal and informal volunteer, going out of his way to mentor and even help students who need minor car repairs, finding a little corner with a shade tree to get his peers back on the road. He even spent time helping to enhance air quality in our residence halls alongside our maintenance crew.
I believe – and our campus family believes – the enduring words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that, hauntingly, continue to ring true in 2025: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere”. As those words resonate in my mind and heart, and I hope they resonate in yours, I hope you will stand along with us as we pray for Will to receive justice for the horrifying acts that were exacted against him.”
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