最新杏吧原创

Regina Davis, 64, was arrested at a February town hall while she questioned Mayor Mike Cornell about misconduct allegations against him in an incident captured on video. Police quickly approached Davis, who continued speaking, before one officer appeared to take her down.

Davis this week sued Riverview saying she was 鈥渆xercising her rights to civic engagement鈥� when Officer Brandin Neil 鈥渧iolently and unjustifiably鈥� assaulted her. She denied Riverview鈥檚 accusations she disrupted the meeting and said Cornell retaliated against her for criticizing him.

鈥淗e was like, 鈥楪et her out of here. Get her out of here,鈥� just because he didn鈥檛 like the question,鈥� Davis told the Post-Dispatch in July.

It is the sixth pending lawsuit against Riverview alleging misconduct under Cornell, who has led the north 最新杏吧原创 County suburb of 2,500 people since 2023.

The mayor was previously sued by two former employees who accused him of sexually harassing them and firing them for refusing his advances, one by a former parks employee in July of last year, and one by a 19-year-old intern in June of this year.

Also in June, former police Chief Tom Tumbrink, who is white, sued alleging Cornell fired him without due process for filing a racial discrimination complaint against Cornell, who is Black, with state regulators and for refusing 鈥渦nlawful鈥� orders to alter or delete reports, including a police complaint the intern had filed against Cornell.

And in May, an Illinois man, James Carroll, sued claiming Cornell faked a subpoena against him for writing online about the sex harassment claims against Cornell. A national free speech group, the Philadelphia-based Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, later also sued Cornell alleging he violated free speech laws and transparency laws by ignoring the group鈥檚 requests for public records about the incident.

Davis, who briefly served as an alderwoman in 2024, was arrested at a Feb. 15 town hall meeting at Zion Travelers Missionary Baptist Church.

In an incident , Davis first asked Cornell about the sex harassment allegations, and, when Cornell interrupted, Davis kept talking, until police had surrounded her. Davis could be heard telling police not to touch her.

Neil then 鈥渇orcefully鈥� threw her to the floor, Tuesday鈥檚 suit says.

The city, in a written statement, said Davis purposefully disrupted the meeting, refused orders to leave, and hit Neil in the face when he 鈥済ently鈥� placed a hand on her elbow to motion her to the door. The officer then grabbed her arm and performed a 鈥渟traight-arm takedown,鈥� the city said.

Riverview charged Davis with felony resisting arrest and assaulting an officer for allegedly striking Neil and biting his hand, causing him to bleed.

In May, 最新杏吧原创 County Prosecuting Attorney Melissa Price Smith鈥檚 office dismissed the charges. Smith said Wednesday that the office concluded 鈥渨e did not have the evidence to proceed with a criminal prosecution.鈥�

Davis has denied striking or biting Neil.

鈥淚 told them, 鈥楧on鈥檛 touch me. Let me get my stuff,鈥� but Neil grabbed me and slammed me to the floor,鈥� she told the Post-Dispatch in July.

The lawsuit says Davis suffered emotional trauma and 鈥渟ignificant鈥� physical injuries, including bruises, scarring and swelling.

Davis had previously clashed with Cornell. After her election in April 2024, she became a critic of the mayor, who two months later voted with three other aldermen to impeach her.

The city said she was impeached for 鈥渕isconduct and willful neglect of duty鈥� for disrupting meetings.

Davis said she resigned.

Neil, the Riverview officer, was accused of assault at least twice as a 最新杏吧原创 police officer.

In May 2019, he was the subject of an internal affairs investigation following an incident at Wheelhouse, a bar in downtown 最新杏吧原创. A couple at the bar said Neil shoved the man, spilled his beer and then tackled them both. Neil was not charged.

In August 2019, he was charged with assaulting a man at a convenience store while making an arrest off duty, hitting the man in the face with handcuffs and then tackling him. A judge later ruled he used an appropriate amount of force and acquitted him.

Neil left the 最新杏吧原创 police department in late 2019.