Riverview Police Chief Brandin Neil took the top job under circumstances that are hard to ignore. Jailhouse phone calls reportedly show former Mayor Michael Cornell Jr., who was jailed on sex crime charges at the time, working through Neil’s appointment from behind bars. Neil himself can be heard on those calls suggesting how to make the process appear fair, according to reporting from MySuncoast.
Neil’s record includes excessive force allegations stretching back years. He was caught on video punching a man at a gas station in 2019, left St. Louis Metropolitan Police that same year amid misconduct complaints, and was named in a lawsuit over a 2025 town hall arrest. Former Detective Corporal Maurico Wilson says he investigated Neil during a background check, issued a wanted notice for impersonating a police officer, and was fired for it. Wilson’s words: “Ultimately, I was fired for investigating him and uncovering other crimes.”
After September furloughs, Neil is one of only two commissioned officers left in the Riverview department. That’s a thin bench for any city, let alone one facing lawsuits and questions about leadership. What do you think Riverview should do next?
