They turned the ventilator off, but left the breathing tube in just in case Bryce failed to breathe on his own. OurMichael Brown Over-Policed Rights Act, crowd-sourced at Daily Kos in the fall of 2014 after the death of Michael Brown. Thats what caused him to go into cardiac arrest. Bryce tried to appreciate the moment, but he wasnt nave. The NAACP forwarded our bill to members of Congress, and we distributed it to members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other progressive members of Congress. View the profiles of people named Timothy Runnels. His chin was split open. Other sources, such as an informal list known as Truth Not Tasers, put the figure at nearly 1,000. Evidence at the hearing revealed that as a result of the tasing, the minor went into cardiac arrest and became unresponsive. Just shoot them with the Taser, and its over and done with, Mattsaid. M. Tye Grant, the Kansas City Police Department updated its certification training after the bulletin was distributed in 2009 and noted the changes in a 2010 in-service update. "Kos" and "Daily Kos" are registered trademarks of Kos Media, LLC. Give me your hand, youre under arrest, Runnels said. Matt and Stacy were upset, but they believed the worst was over. Runnels was also indicted on charges of depriving Masters of his civil rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. He suffered brain damage and the road ahead will not be easy for him. 19-2242 (8th Cir. Officer Gillihan was involved again. As a police officer, his opinion about whether Tasers could kill mirrored the standard explanation he and his fellow officers had heard from the companys trainers, that Tasers causing cardiac arrest was just a tall tale concocted by attorneys and the media to disparage a useful police weapon. "The department remains committed to ensuring. Sentencing was not in place, but Runnels had agreed to plead guilty to one of the four charges, violating the constitutional rights of a minor. In today's KC Star. He was incredulous. Matt Masters does not agree that the Taser use was reasonable, but he agrees it was common police practice. I get a lot of sympathy from my black cop friends, like, this is what weve been saying about cops for a long, long time.'. They told him that they were disappointed he was smoking marijuana but that his civil rights had been violated. Dash camera video of the incident depicts Runnels handcuffing the minor after the taser deployment and then picking him up. After excessively tazing a fellow cops underage son during a traffic stop and slamming the handcuffed teen face-first onto the street, an overzealous officer was recently sentenced to four years in prison for violating the minors civil rights. A screen grab from a bystander video of Bryce Masters lying on the ground after being tased by Officer Timothy Runnels, Sept. 14, 2014. In a highly publicized Canadian inquiry into the 2007 Taser-related death of Robert Dziekanski in the Vancouver International Airport, a police psychologist accused the company of using the mythical disorder as a way to justify ridiculously inappropriate Taser use by police officers. The catalyst for the crime was the 23-second Taser deployment straight into Bryce's chest. ), Watching the video, Stacy was astounded. "Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people," Martin reportedly told him at the time. "The department remains committed to ensuring that police officers who violate their sworn oaths by using excessive force are held accountable," said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. He knew this piece of evidence absolved him of any wrongdoing. I cant tell you what is on there, Stacy remembered one agent telling them. Runnels improper use of the Taser caused Bryce's heart to stop for eight minutes. Instead of getting angry at his fellow officers, though, Matt felt sympathy for them. They have also lived in Milton, FL and Troy, AL. Matt headed to jail and posted Bryces bail. Former Independence, Mo., police officer Timothy Runnels was sentenced Wednesday to 4 years in prison for violating the constitutional rights of a minor who was in his. Timothy Alan Runnels October 5, 1963 - June 13, 2022 (58 years old) Terre Haute, Indiana Give a memorial tree Plant a tree Light a candle Illuminate their memory Timothy Alan Runnels Obituary We are sad to announce that on June 13, 2022 we had to say goodbye to Timothy Alan Runnels of Terre Haute, Indiana. The jury. Matt and Stacy didnt sleep at all that first night. Although sentencing guidelines called for a term of eight to 10 years, prosecutors recommended a sentence of no more than four years as part of the plea agreement. The week of September 7, 2015, the Masters got a phone call from Ketchmark. Matt had been there before, a guy laughing in the room at the helpless contortions of Taser victims. Bryce Masters used his mobile phone to record his encounter with Officer Timothy Runnels on September 14, 2014. Long ago history and recent events informmy opinion. After getting the phone call from Ketchmark, Matt and Stacy talked about what type of punishment would feel like justice to them. I get a lot of sympathy from my black cop friends, like, this is what weve been saying about cops for a long, long time. The jury returned its verdict Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City after a week-long trial in the lawsuit brought by Bryce Masters against the former officer, Timothy Runnels. INDEPENDENCE, Mo. With the support of readers, we publicize our results through letters to the editor, press releases, and petitions. Although the minor suffered cardiac arrest and facial injuries, he survived the incident due to timely medical treatment by medical personnel at the scene and at the hospital. In the medical world, Tasers causing cardiac arrest was apparently a well-established phenomenon. He would feel his mouth and turn to his parents. This case was investigated by the FBIs Kansas City Division and is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Shan Patel of the Civil Rights Divisions Criminal Section and First Assistant U.S. Attorney David Ketchmark of the Western District of Missouri. Thats what happened; there was no other plausible explanation. The ticking sound of the Taser continued. They understood Tasers to be safe tools, but tools that were used on suspects who posed a threat to officers. The companys use of the condition in public statements and court testimony is controversial as well. Mrs. Runnels had resided in Hudson most of her life. After going for so long without oxygen, at least some brain damage was inevitable. He was arrested and charged. The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. According to the court filings, Runnels also admitted that his actions resulted in bodily injury to the minor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ketchmark informed Matt that the policies and case law pertaining to Taser use routinely justified broad uses of the weapons uses that Matt now considered dangerous. One of the obstruction charges dealt with the misleading police report. His use of excessive force violated both the publics trust and his oath to uphold the law, Tammy Dickinson, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Missouri, said in a written statement. Runnels faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 for his conviction for violating the minor's civil rights. Meanwhile, Independence police officials were intent on controlling the story. Bryce spent the better part of 45 minutes arguing with his parents as he tried to wrap his mind around why they wanted to go to the game so early. As Matt and Stacy were getting ready to leave the house, Curtis called back again. Officer Timothy Runnels flagged Bruce Master in 2014, but the incident led to the boy's cardiac arrest and long physical and emotional recovery after Runnels tasered him. Cops do fuck up. Who beat the shit out of me? Since then, he has trained at the Moody Health Center, become . They couldnt believe he was up walking in less than a week. And, if his future was going to be the way that they described to me if he did make it, I didnt know if I wanted him to.. The FBI told him to be patient and that an agent would contact him sometime in the next few days. By the time the Masters arrived, paramedics were on the scene, attending to Bryce. Its the only thing we need, Matt remembered an agent telling him. Hethen tases Bryce for 23 seconds, handcuffs him, drags the boys body behind the car, and deliberately drops him face first onto the asphalt road. Being a convicted felon and losing the only career he ever aspired to was a significant punishment for Runnels, Hobbs said. Call every week. Their immediate concern was why a police officer would use one on their son. During the third week of March in 2015, Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark informed the Masters that Runnels was going to face a grand jury. His colleagues chuckled as suspects screamed and cops stood heroically at a distance, pumping them with electricity. The defendant abused his authority as a law enforcement officer by depriving a minor of his constitutional rights and causing bodily harm, said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gupta. While he still values the profession, his newfound empathy made him more aware of the real damage some officers inflict. I havent done anything officer, Bryce yelled. He ran a license plate check on Masters's car, which revealed an outstanding warrant apparently associated with the plate.3 Runnels then initiated a traffic stop. The permanent injury he struggles with every day came as a result of the Taser. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a $6.5 million jury verdict against former officer Timothy Runnels over the confrontation with Bryce Masters during a traffic stop in 2014, KCUR . But the wounds Bryce suffered from that part of the assault have largely healed. on about your day, ask yourself: How likely is it that the story you just read would have been produced by a different news outlet if The Intercept hadnt done it? Timothy Runnels, a 32-year-old former Independence, Missouri, police officer SENTENCED to 4 years in Federal Prison. The Intercept is an independent nonprofit news outlet. I dont understand, when you watch that video, how you could treat anybodys kid that way.. Cops do fuck up. Matt had heard that people sometimes died after a Taser shock, but chalked it up to a syndrome called excited delirium, which hed learned about in his Taser training. Runnels ignored it. Bryce repeatedly asks if he is under arrest. His initial thought was that maybe, somehow, even though hed carried a Taser since 2004, hed simply missed something in training. Am I under arrest? Even the victim, 18-year-old Bryce Masters, had seen it only once. His face was swollen, and they later found out that his jaw was likely dislocated, but popped back into place. He wasnt just alive he was demonstrating awareness. When Masters refused to get out of his car, Runnels tried to drag him out, then drew his Taser and shot him. Two law enforcement families were devastated by these events and we all simply wish that day had never happened.. Stacy had put herself in the shoes of Runnelss family. Independence, Missouri, is an aging suburb, the kind of place wealthy residents of Kansas City used to move to. It was easier for himto view Runnelss actions as an error of judgment exacerbated by ignorance. The neurologist calmly explained that 15 is the best score, indicating a patient is fully aware and awake. In hindsight, Matt was fixated on the Taser and not on the other evidence in front of him. (A member of Runnelss defense team, asked for comment, said he had no information about his clients departurefrom the Kansas City Police Department. After misdiagnosing the cause of the problem, Matt Masters shared some more with us: After almost 20 years as a cop, it had become easy for Matt to split the world into good guys and bad guys. From The Intercept : I still get what cops go through, the decision-making process, the damned if you do, damned if you dont process, Matt said. No one said anything about avoiding the chest, and this was five years after Taser International officially changed the target area and with an incident involving a local officers child providing a perfect example of what could happen. Someone is raped in Texas every hour. The dashcam video showed officerssearching through Bryces vehicle asBryce was carted off in an ambulance. Timothy Runnels Case Summary On 06/12/2019 Bryce Masters filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right lawsuit against Timothy Runnels. The story became notorious among Kansas City cops. Now, he sees a company with everything at stake trying to have it both ways: Tasers are safe for all sorts of encounters, but dont blame us when something goes wrong. Timothy Runnels, et al Case Summary On 06/17/2019 Bryce Masters filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right lawsuit against Timothy Runnels ,. Bryces only mistake in this situation was following his parents advice to ask questions, particularly to ask why if stopped by law enforcement. When his mom noticed, he tried to explain how strange they felt. The cop put his foot on his back and moved it back and forth like he was putting a cigarette out and asked him, Are you ready to get up now? You could tell the kid was going into convulsions.. We need cops of good conscience to join the fight against their murderous brethren. We saw as the officers dragged Freddie into the paddywagon,but yet no one will be held responsible for his death. Matt called the FBI again. It is only fair. Matt Masters and Stacy Masters at their home on June 2, 2016. The agents arrived quickly and started taking pictures of Bryces mouth. Each time, Stacy and Matt tried to gently remind him that he had been injured by a police officer. The spot where Bryce was pulled over is suburban and residential, a paved road next to a manicured lawn with a public sidewalk running through it. The sentencing hearingbegan with a surprise. The Supreme Court has said that the doctrine is necessary to give officers breathing room to make reasonable but mistaken judgments. Without it, according to the court, the possible threat of personal liability would make them overly timid and discourage people from entering public service. Runnels stepped back, stood straight, took a shooting position, and again grabbed his Taser from its holster. Weve all been duped. The cop was like, You want to mess with me, and pulled out his Taser and tased him, witness Michelle Baker recalled after recording acell phone videoshortly after the incident. Bryce was given simple tasks, things kindergartners could do, as he put it. Call their office. The fatherattributes his fellow officers brutalization of his son to lack of training. A federal judge on Monday released the police dashcam video that shows former Independence Police Officer Timothy N. Runnels using excessive force in arresting then-17-year-old Bryce Masters. The video above shows Runnels approaching a pulled-over vehicle being driven by Bryce Masters, then 17, who was on his way to play video games with a friend. It was daylight outside, and in the distance ahead, they could see Bryces gray Pontiac driving along as Runnelss cruiser followed far behind. Officer Runnels will pay a price for his murderous actions. Nick Berardini[emailprotected]gmail.com@NickBerardini, Matt Stroud[emailprotected]gmail.com@MattStroud. Warning: This video contains graphic scenes of police violence. He took a shot right to the heart, and that sent him into cardiac arrest.. Matt wondered: If Dr. Augustin was right, and the Taser caused Bryces cardiac arrest, why hadnt he known about the risks? Hes going to prison., Matt and Stacey were obviously outraged by what happened to Bryce and dealt with the heartbreaking circumstances of his injury every day. Post-trial, Runnels argued that he was entitled to qualified immunity the legal doctrine that shields government officials from liability for conduct that does not violate clearly established law. Two years? And, when they do, theres someone on the receiving end of that., In his sons case, an officer is paying for his bad decision. Unfazed, Bryce leaned his 6-foot-1-inch frame forward, his eyes focused on the makeshift projector. Runnels didnt answer. Dr. Timothy Runnels. Masters went into cardiac arrest after Runnels used a stun gun on him after the teen refused to get out of his car. I have to admit that I teared up at the part about minority victims, that never see the inside of a courtroom. Eric Garner was killed right in front of our eyes and yet no one was held responsible. In a final sentencing hearing on June 1, Runnels was sentenced to four years in federal prison. For 30minutes, he had to take deep, long breaths, with his tongue depressed and a tube jammed down his throat, before the doctors felt he was out of the woods. Daily Kos moves in solidarity with the Black community. ', , that never see the inside of a courtroom, What's a cop to do when his son is beaten bloody by another cop? Am I under arrest? Runnels seemed to reconsider using the Taser, holstered it, and then reached into the car, attempting to pull Bryce out. Finally, the Masters thought, they were going to get some closure and understand exactly what went wrong. Copyright 2023 Baristas at two Kansas City-area Starbucks locations plan to unionize. Once Bryce learned to drive again, Independence squad cars followed him several times, sometimes even pulling up next to him so the officers could smirk or wave. He told them a plea agreement had been finalized. They called for scans and tests. His mom, Stacy, folded her arms, clutching a tissue. The Masters could see Bryces heart heaving up and down on the screen, an indication that he was going through cardiac arrest. A rare instance when a cop actually went to jail for excessive force. Tchous study was one of the first to demonstrate that a Taser shock canpotentially lead to cardiac arrest and it was financed by Taser International and completed in 2006, eight years prior to Runnels using a Taser on Bryce. 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