Burt v. City of Pleasant Grove Alabama, The et al

On April 4, 2023, Pleasant Grove police responded to a domestic disturbance call involving Anthony Burt. During the encounter, Officer Mark Richards discharged his firearm, fatally striking an unarmed Burt. Linda Burt, acting as the personal representative of the estate, filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Pleasant Grove and Officer Richards. The complaint alleges that the officer used excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment and that the city failed to adequately train its officers. The case highlights ongoing national debates over police accountability and the application of qualified immunity in deadly force incidents.

As of 2025, the district court denied the defendants' motion to dismiss on qualified immunity grounds, allowing the excessive force claim to proceed to discovery. The case remains active and has not yet gone to trial.

Whether Officer Richards used excessive force against Anthony Burt in violation of the Fourth Amendment, and whether he is entitled to qualified immunity shielding him from suit.

The case sparked protests in Pleasant Grove and renewed calls for police reform and independent investigations into officer-involved shootings. It has been closely monitored by civil rights organizations as a test of qualified immunity boundaries in the Eleventh Circuit.