$10 Million Verdict for Deputy Mauled by Unmuzzled Police K-9 During Training

On May 25, 2021, Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy Aimee Jo Brasher was running a routine bi-weekly K-9 training session for handlers across the county. Officer David McIntosh of the Hueytown Police Department showed up with Rocco, his narcotics detection dog. When it was Rocco's turn to search, the dog broke free from the lead and charged at Brasher without warning.

Rocco was not muzzled. Brasher suffered lacerations to her face, mouth, chin, breast, and arm. She ultimately underwent six reconstructive facial surgeries.

The attack did not happen in a vacuum. Weeks before the training, Rocco had attacked a Hueytown jailer, sending her to the hospital. In response, McIntosh's superiors ordered him to keep the dog muzzled any time other people were present. He disregarded that order on the day he brought Rocco to Brasher's session.

Trial evidence also showed that McIntosh had repeatedly failed to meet Hueytown's minimum monthly training requirements for Rocco, as well as the standards set by national K-9 organizations. The City of Hueytown was originally a named defendant but was dismissed before the case went to the jury.

After a seven-day trial, the Jefferson County jury returned its verdict on November 25, 2025, finding McIntosh personally liable. The jury awarded $1.9 million for past compensatory damages, $2.1 million for future compensatory damages, and $6 million in punitive damages, for a total of $10 million. Craig Shirley, Michael Eldridge, and Blake Cordova of Hollis, Wright and Clay, P.C. represented Brasher throughout the case.