RIVERVIEW, Mo. – The Riverview Police Department's Chief, Brandin Neil, is facing multiple allegations, including a history of alleged excessive use of force, reportedly firing a detective who investigated him, and being handpicked for the position by the city's now-former mayor while the mayor was in jail awaiting trial for alleged sex crimes. These developments surface as the Riverview City Hall and Police Department were furloughed on September 10, leaving Chief Neil as one of only two remaining commissioned officers, according to state records.
An investigation revealed that the decision to hire Neil into the department’s top brass was made by former Mayor Michael Cornell Jr. from the St. Louis County jail, where he was awaiting trial for alleged sex crimes. Jailhouse calls reportedly show the former mayor's involvement. Neil confirmed in an on-camera interview that he spoke with the former mayor while he was incarcerated. A former Riverview detective, who stated he conducted Neil's background check for Riverview, alleges that Chief Neil fired him for an investigation stemming from that check. Neil stated he could not comment on the former detective’s firing, citing it as a personnel issue.
Reports indicate three incidents, caught on camera, allegedly show Chief Neil using excessive force, including punches to the head, against individuals who did not appear to be resisting. Two of these incidents resulted in court actions against Neil.
One incident occurred on August 8, 2019, at a St. Louis City gas station. Neil, then an off-duty St. Louis City police officer, was seen on video arguing with a man, Bryan Boyle, attempting to tase him, and then repeatedly punching him in the head with his handcuffs, court records state. Boyle told reporters in 2019 that Neil never identified himself as a police officer during the incident. Neil was charged with third-degree assault, a class-E felony, in this case. A judge found Neil not guilty following a bench trial in September 2021. The prosecutor in that case, Eusef Robin Huq, argued that Neil had no reason for his aggressive response and had escalated the situation. Boyle later sued Neil in federal court in 2021, alleging Fourth and 14th Amendment rights violations. This lawsuit was dropped in April 2024 after Boyle was shot dead in his car in St. Louis City’s Vandeventer neighborhood. Neil stated that regarding Mr. Boyle, “all matters of that case are public record.”
Prior to the incident with Boyle, Neil was reportedly under investigation for a different internal affairs complaint in May 2019. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that Neil was accused of tackling Billy Busch’s daughter, Abbey Busch, and her boyfriend inside a South City bar. This incident was reportedly under investigation by both St. Louis City Police internal affairs and the circuit attorney’s office. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department (SLMPD) records state that internal affairs investigations into police officers are closed records under Missouri law. Neil was never criminally charged related to this May incident and ultimately left SLMPD in September of the same year, after less than three years of service. Neil stated that the alleged incident involving Ms. Busch “was investigated and found to not be factual.”
More recently, in 2025, Neil was seen on video arresting former Riverview Alderwoman Regina Davis during a town hall meeting. Davis stated she attended the meeting to question then-Mayor Cornell about a lawsuit accusing him of sexual misconduct. Davis was charged with assault, accused of biting Neil during the arrest, but those charges have since been dropped. Davis has now filed a lawsuit against Neil and the city of Riverview, claiming the force used by Neil was excessive and unwarranted. Neil stated he would not comment on active litigation.
This year, a video circulated on social media reportedly shows Neil in a police uniform punching a man in the head while he was on the ground outside of a St. Louis City nightclub. A former Riverview detective states the video is from March 14 and identifies the man throwing the punch as Neil. When asked about this video, Neil stated he requested the sharing of “the entirety of the video that is approximately 25 minutes long,” which he claimed depicts attempted de-escalation, assault of officers, and resisting arrest, but did not provide the additional video when asked.
Recorded jail call conversations between the now-former Riverview mayor and now-former Riverview Alderwoman Judy Jones, who recently resigned, also suggest Neil may have been under investigation by Missouri Peace Officer’s Standards and Training (POST) from an incident during his time with the Moline Acres Police Department. Neil was with Moline Acres from December 1, 2025, until April 23, 2026, the department said.
Former prosecutor Eusef Robin Huq expressed surprise to learn Neil is now a police chief, stating he hopes Neil has changed for the better. Chief Neil issued a written statement indicating he has used the past five months since his return to the Riverview Police Department to bring the department into state compliance, foster working relationships with neighboring departments and elected officials, and attend community events. He affirmed that his ultimate goal is the betterment and protection of the city's residents and that he will continue to serve transparently and efficiently.