William McNeil Jr., the 22-year-old college student whose violent arrest by Jacksonville Sheriff's deputies was captured in a viral video, spoke publicly about the traumatic incident in an interview with ABC News.

"I don't drive anymore," McNeil revealed to the outlet. "Just because I don't trust cops anymore. I'm still scared. I can't get sleep at night because of trauma. I have flashbacks and nightmares."

The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office launched an investigation after McNeil's 2-minute cellphone video of the February traffic stop went viral. Sheriff T.K. Waters later released bodycam footage from two deputies involved. The video shows deputies beating and punching McNeil after he questioned why he was being pulled over and refused to exit his vehicle. "I feared for my life," McNeil told ABC’s Linsey Davis. "I was scared, frightened. I grew up being told that officers protect us, but that wasn't the case."

Deputy D. Bowers, who broke McNeil’s window and punched him, was stripped of law enforcement authority pending an administrative review. At a press conference, attorney Ben Crump demanded accountability: "If you don't terminate this officer and you condone this type of police excessive force, then it sends a message to all of the other police officers on the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office team. It tells them, it is okay for you to treat citizens like this, it is okay to treat Black motorists like this. In America, it is not okay."

McNeil suffered a concussion and memory loss, according to his legal team. Attorney Harry Daniels confirmed plans to file a lawsuit and seek a DOJ review. "We're going to pursue a civil complaint in the upcoming weeks," Daniels said. McNeil emphasized systemic change as his goal: "Fighting for what's right, better training for our officers... justice for all Black men across America."

His parents, Latoya and Alton Solomon, described their anguish. "I'm thankful to God for protecting him," Latoya said, while Alton, emotionally recalling his own experiences, added, "To see that video made me go back to when I was 22. It hurt."

McNeil, a biology major and band leader at Livingstone College, referenced "the talk" Black families give about police interactions: "Basically, what I was taught is to instead of fighting them on the street where we don't have power, fight them in the courts."