Lieutenant Brandon Lanier, formerly a commander within the Internal Affairs Department of the Miami Police Department, filed a lawsuit in 2024 alleging he was demoted and discriminated against for performing his duties. Lanier claimed that after investigating and reprimanding then-Assistant Chief Manny Morales in 2021 for failing to properly investigate a crash involving a police officer, he faced retaliation. When Morales was promoted to Chief later that year, Lanier was demoted from Internal Affairs commander to a lieutenant in Overtown. He alleges that this demotion was in retaliation for his refusal to overlook misconduct within the department. Lanier is seeking reinstatement and damages in excess of $1,000,000.
.
