A student at Livingstone College is speaking out after a violent traffic stop in Jacksonville, Florida, left him traumatized—and now, the HBCU community is rallying behind him.
William McNeil Jr., a member of Livingstone’s Blue Thunder Marching Band and a biology major, was pulled over by Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office deputies back in February 2025. But what should have been a routine traffic stop quickly escalated. Viral video footage released last week shows McNeil being forcibly removed from his car and assaulted by officers—despite him remaining calm and repeatedly asking for an explanation.
According to reports, McNeil declined to exit his vehicle during the stop, asking officers to explain the reason he was being detained. Instead of offering clarity, one officer broke his window and multiple deputies pulled him from the vehicle and physically assaulted him…