Overview

• A federal jury convened Monday in New Orleans as Derek Brown and Julia Barecki-Brown seek damages for emotional distress after Officer Derrick Burmaster shot their puppy Apollo during a 2021 domestic disturbance response.
• Multiple internal NOPD reviews and the Use of Force Review Board unanimously found that Apollo, an 18-week-old rescue dog, posed no threat and that the shooting breached department policy.
• Despite those findings, department leadership cleared Burmaster of wrongdoing in July 2023 following the lawsuit, prompting Independent Police Monitor Stella Cziment to publicly dispute the reversal.
• In opening arguments, Burmaster’s lawyer described his client’s decision as a split-second reaction consistent with his training, citing fear that the dog would bite him in the genitals.
• The trial highlights lingering concerns over police accountability as the New Orleans Police Department prepares to end longstanding federal oversight of its use-of-force practices.