Florida ‘Viral Stop’ Cop Cleared

The cop who went famous for all the wrong reasons is officially off the hook.
Prosecutors announced they won’t be charging the Florida sheriff’s deputy caught on camera in February punching a 21-year-old Black college student during a chaotic traffic stop. The video, which exploded across social media back then, had half the internet calling it “blatant police brutality” and the other half screaming “stop resisting!” Now? We’re back to square one — just with way more quote-tweets. Officials claim bodycam footage “tells a different story” than the viral clip, painting the punch as “justified use of force.” The student’s lawyer says the fight for accountability isn’t over, but online, the verdict’s already been made — and it’s messy. Expect another week of debates, dunks, and DMs full of “whataboutism” links from that one guy you went to high school with.