In a significant legal decision, a Jefferson County jury has delivered a $10 million verdict in a case involving a K9 unit attack on a deputy in Hueytown, Alabama.

On November 25, the court ruled against David McIntosh, a Hueytown Police Department officer, after his narcotics detection K9 launched a brutal assault on Deputy Aimee Jo Brasher from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The attack occurred during a routine training session in May 2021.

According to a statement from the law firm Hollis, Wright and Clay, evidence presented during the trial demonstrated that Officer McIntosh had repeatedly neglected to fulfill the minimum monthly training requirements for his narcotics detection dog. These standards were essential under both Hueytown’s policy and national guidelines.

The weeklong trial unveiled testimonies indicating that the same K9 had attacked a Hueytown jailer just weeks prior, resulting in the jailer’s hospitalization. Following that incident, McIntosh’s superiors had instructed him to ensure the dog was muzzled at all times when near people.

The jury ultimately awarded Deputy Brasher $1.9 million for past compensatory damages, $2.1 million for future compensatory damages, and $6 million in punitive damages, acknowledging the severe impact of the incident.