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? Then he pulled him out of the car, handcuffed him, and drug him around the car. In every interaction, whether at school or out in public, the question of what he did, what responsibility he must have for his own injury, hung over him. Roughly every 30minutes that night, Bryce would forget what happened to him. The complete dashcam video of Independence, Missouri, police officer Timothy Runnels tasering Bryce Masters on September 14, 2014. AMR ordered (Taser protocol). It was clear that officials were determined to place blame on Bryce and paint a picture of a lawful stop that escalated into a justified use of force. Later, a different spokesperson would tell KCTV that the use of the Taser was in policy. Runnelss name wasnt initially released. Aside from dealing with a traumatic brain injury, Bryce has battled the perception that he is somehow responsible for the crime committed against him. The case status is Pending - Other Pending. Call their office. 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. It goes back to the way he was trained. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, and U.S. Attorney Tammy Dickinson of the Western District of Missouri announced that former Independence, Missouri, Police Officer Timothy Runnels was sentenced to 4 years in prison for violating the constitutional rights of a minor It was clear he had vomited. and manufacturers. Timothy Runnels now . The story became notorious among Kansas City cops. Facebook gives people the power. Id never heard of excited delirium until Taser International came along.. Dash camera video of the incident depicts Runnels handcuffing the minor after the taser deployment and then picking him up. Its really bad, she said. Then and only then well see an end to this crap. Today the video, which had never been played in any public setting, would be played in open court. Independence, Missouri, is an aging suburb, the kind of place wealthy residents of Kansas City used to move to. People tell me Im different, he admitted to the crowd. A twenty-three second jolt of 50,000 watts ended his life for a short time resulting in irreparable brain damage. Finally, she asked one of the nurses. Matt started searching the internet for Taser deaths and cardiac arrest. As Matt and Stacy were getting ready to leave the house, Curtis called back again. It was unacceptable the way hed talked to her. It was Bryces only option, doctors told Matt and Stacy. In the video, Runnels refers to Bryces August arrest, which was being contested by the Masters. I dont think Ill ever, ever be able to forget that., As hard as it was to watch, Bryce felt vindicated. In the medical world, Tasers causing cardiac arrest was apparently a well-established phenomenon. He didnt understand why we wanted to go so early, and he threw a fit, Matt said. 19-2242 (8th Cir. A former Missouri police officer pleaded guilty on Friday to violating the constitutional rights of a 17-year-old motorist by deliberately dropping the restrained youth face-first on the ground after a traffic stop last year, federal prosecutors said. Timothy Runnels, 59 Resides in Palmetto, FL Lived In Oneco FL, Terre Haute IN, Bradenton FL Related To Vanessa Runnels Includes Address (5) Phone (4) Email (3) See Results Timothy E Runnels, 26 Resides in Mound City, MO Lived In Craig MO Related To Shelli Runnels, Helen Runnels Includes Address (2) Phone (2) Email (1) See Results Runnels grabbedBryces cellphone, throwing it in front of the car, demanding that he get on the ground. Timothy is related to Carolyn Ann Runnels . The agents arrived quickly and started taking pictures of Bryces mouth. Talk to a staff member. Police officers are not above the law and will be held accountable when they violate the civil rights of the citizens they are sworn to protect and serve.. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. (Sept. 14, 2014) Bryce Masters and his family at their home on June 2, 2016. They stared at Bryce as the reality that he might die washed over them. Four years is not nearly enough for condemning this young man to alifetime of pain and suffering, but it is so much more justice than so many others got. In my heart of hearts, I felt like he was slipping away, she said. The Taser did this. He knows there are manydeserving cases, especially involving minority victims, that never see the inside of a courtroom. Matt found it hard to believe the federal government, given the vague guidelines established for proper Taser use, and the broad authority officers had to use force, could make a charge stick. TheDream Defendersdefend the Dream of Martin Luther King Jr. by "develop[ing]the next generation of radical leaders to realize and exercise our independent collective power; building alternative systems and organizing to disrupt the structures that oppress our communities." Bryce Masters, 17, suffered a cardiac arrest after being Tasered in 2014. In a final sentencing hearing on June 1, Runnels was sentenced to four years in federal prison. NINTH GRADE HONOR ROLL: Elliott Anthony, Carter Bainter, Caleb Bennett, Peyton Black, Allena Blanton, Jesse Bryant, Kennidi Burkhart, Cameron Casto, Jacob Cline, Averey Cockerill, Nathan Cockerill, Jordan Cordell, Meghan Cory, Jake Daniels, Makenna Davis, Sara Dawson, Jonathan Donson, Michael . The first news reports about the incident included comments from a spokesperson who said Bryce was stopped for an outstanding warrant, and that he refused to follow the officers commands. Miami Trace High School recently released the second nine weeks honor roll and honorable mention. He described a happy teenage life before this all happened, the life of a young man who was looking forward to his senior year of varsity basketball, and visiting colleges. But the wounds Bryce suffered from that part of the assault have largely healed. Stacy and Matt cried as Bryce fought. 2. And so many times thats just like an insert quote here in your report because thats going to cover your ass., Matt saw the phrasing and knew Runnels was looking for ways to justify both the stop and the attempted arrest. report. He pled guilty to one charge and was sentenced. Finally, the Masters thought, they were going to get some closure and understand exactly what went wrong. Select this result to view Timothy Glynn Runnels's phone number, address, and more. You are also welcome to join us onThe Porchover at the Black Kos Community group on Friday afternoons at 4 p.m. He knows there are manydeserving cases, especially involving minority victims, that never see the inside of a courtroom. Dr. Augustin said, Thats not what happened, Matt remembered. Copyright 2023 Finally, in 2009, Taser International released the bulletin suggesting that officers should avoid shooting suspects in the chest when possible. It was Timothy Runnels. But it was a crime scene at that point, with several officers there and yellow tape stretched to cordon off the section of property where the interaction had played out. 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 department remains committed to ensuring. While we are pleased that Mr. Runnels was held accountable for his actions, no one really wins in this scenario. At least three were sheared in half and several others badly chipped. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). They didnt realize how long Bryce had been without oxygen. Dont use it on suspects who are just passively resisting. (According to police spokesperson Capt. Why dont cops know all this? Certainly some did, but for all the years Matt had carried a Taser, he didnt know. I knew, whenever I woke up, that I didnt feel right, he said. Later in the evening, as things quieted down, Dr. Augustin arrived to check on Bryce. Dr. Stanley Augustin, the chief trauma surgeon, joined the conversation. Matt began calling all the law enforcement contacts he could, trying to figure out what might have happened. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Ketchmark argued that the length of time that Runnels held down the Tasers trigger was an aggravating factor. I dont play games., Ive been tased a dozen times, Runnels said to Bryce. You see whats happening here, Matt told them. One punctured his chest, to the right of his midsection. The new officer referred to Bryce, lying there stationary. He was born on May 27, 1947 in Bloomingburg, Ohio to Clarence and Rebecca Wyatt Runnels. It was because they fought, or they were stressed, he remembered hearing in his training. He stopped the gray Pontiac because he believed the . Following a five-day trial in December 2018, a jury awarded Masters $5 million in actual damages and $1.5 million in punitive damages, including $500,000 for prolonged use of the Taser and $1,000,000 for the pavement drop. It goes back to the way he was trained. 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. Bryce refused. Trying to go back to normal meant putting himself back in the community. The past 20 months have been emotionally and physically exhausting, the statement said. Runnels faced a dire sentence that day up to 10 years in federal prison. Two law enforcement families were devastated by these events and we all simply wish that day had never happened.. The odds were still against them there was about a 50-50 chance that Bryce would emerge from the coma alive. We need cops of good conscience to join the fight against their murderous brethren. An official website of the United States government. The driver was then-17-year-old Bryce Masters. Bryce repeatedly asks if he is under arrest. KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and powerful storytelling. The best result we found for your search is Timothy Glynn Runnels age 60s in Atmore, AL. We will be needing your help. More importantly, if there was no warrant associated with Bryce or his car, why was he stopped in the first place? The totality of his injury also made him reclusive. He was fired from the Independence Police Department after the encounter. Eventually, Bryce went back to sleep. Request a quote for the most accurate & reliable non-lethal training, DragonEye Tech: Leaders in LIDAR Speed Measurement, The teenage driver went into cardiac arrest after the officer used and ECD on him when he refused to comply. He thought again about his own training, and how Taser International, by holding a virtual monopoly on the weapons, heavily influenced the information officers received. The Masters didnt worry much about Bryce in high school. But for another three years, Taser International training slides continued to avoid mentioning potential cardiac effects. In November 2014, Bryces case was back in the news with reports thatRunnels had left the Independence police force. Two years? The video showing what OfficerTimothy Runnelsdid to the teenager is almost unwatchable. Timothy Runnels was arraigned Friday in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri, on two counts apiece of deprivation of civil rights and of obstruction of justice in connection with the Sept. 14 confrontation with 17-year-old Bryce Masters of Independence, a Kansas City suburb where Runnels worked. But there was no charge for the initial Taser deployment. The trial judge, however, denied Runnels motion, and the 8th Circuit last week upheld that finding. Runnels kept the trigger engaged for about 20 seconds, the equivalent of four cycles of the Taser, even though had Masters complied with all of his commands until he fell unconscious. Matt once received a standing ovation after a grand jury cleared him of any wrongdoing in shooting a 16-year-old armed robbery suspect four times. The week of September 7, 2015, the Masters got a phone call from Ketchmark. Masters was 17 at the time of the incident and had sued the city of Independence along with police officer Timothy Runnels, who shot the teen with a taser after Masters refused to get out of his car. A screen grab from a bystander video of Bryce Masters lying on the ground after being tased by Officer Timothy Runnels, Sept. 14, 2014. He and Stacy sat Bryce down. He took a shot right to the heart, and that sent him into cardiac arrest.. 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.'. But Matt was grappling not only with his perspective as father and husband, but the fact that Runnels was a fellow police officer. Keeping these facts in mind, Matt thought back to his training, and Bryces case. Matt asked what Stacy knew was an inevitable question, a question they needed to address. 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. These are classic signs of a brain injury., What Id seen with his posturing made me want to look away, Stacy said. OurFreedom of Information Act project. In addition to being a police officer, Martin also trained young boxers at a local gym. He wondered what he could repair, and if he was ever going to be the same. Of course, no such luck for Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Brown(a pause to catch mybreath). Matt is a 19-year veteran of the Kansas City Police Department with a slew of warrior-cop credentials. Its a miracle hes alive.. It was emotional for both sides. Our thoughts and prayers are with him. Do Not Sell My Personal Information, If you need further help setting your homepage, check your browsers Help menu, New police chief hired at N.C. PD after entire police force resigned, 'It's a blessing': 24-year-old takes helm as N.C. police chief, Video: Bystander pins down drunk driver fleeing crash that killed a Texas police officer, SIG Sauer's ROMEO-M17: The future of the Red Dot revolution is here, 'You're going to die today': Driver traps Fla. cop inside car while speeding toward power pole, Open the tools menu in your browser. Timothy Runnels, 32, previously pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of 17-year-old Bryce Masters. 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. This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. Matt consoled him and told him it was OK, but also said that he needed to apologize to his mom. 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. State police reinvestigated the case and found that a deputy who originally gave sworn testimony that Sanford drew an accurate diagram of the crime scene, later contradicted that testimony, the prosecutors offices statement said. The kind of reporting we do is essential to democracy, but it is not easy, cheap, or profitable. Blood and mucus had crusted around Bryces nose. The Department of Justice included parts of our law in their reports on Ferguson, Missouri, in 2015. A three is the worst possible score. We need White people of good conscience to join the fight against police cruelty and unlawful behavior. Matt and Stacy didnt sleep at all that first night. Matt Masters does not agree that the Taser use was reasonable, but he agrees it was common police practice. Matt called the FBI agents he met on Monday. Theyre working it backwards. Matts experience as a cop taught him that officers can sometimes write themselves out of trouble through exaggerated and self-serving reports. I read Zipes study, and it just blew me away, Matt remembered. She told the Masters that Bryce had scored a three. The audio was initially silent. In the video, Runnels pulls Bryce over and approaches the car. It just may be too late. Bryce would spend several hours cooling down, stay cooled for a minimum of 24 hours, and then be slowly warmed back up. While most of the 15-minute session was spent on updated legal information, and situations in which Taser use was not advised, there was no mention of potential cardiac risks. Runnels said that 400 to 500 workers came in Monday to finish restoring power to the some 400 customers who were still without power Monday after the storm had initially knocked out electric . While the number of people killed in Taser-related police interactions is in dispute and its unclear what role the Taser played in a number of these deaths Amnesty International has put the figure at more than 500. Gillihan claimed hed received a call about a suspicious car parked overnight, and he was waiting when Bryce walked outside. Over the next several weeks, he went down a rabbit hole of news stories about Taser-related deaths and studies examining the weapons potential lethality. One robbery happens every 15 minutes. 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. But he doesnt trust the company selling them. Eventually, they asked him how Bryce was doing. "We hope that today's sentence will allow Bryce to begin to focus on his future. The next eight weeks were crucial to his recovery; doctors advised the Masters that Bryce would make his most significant gains in the first couple months after his injury. Bryce, bettersit up, he said. Was he drunk, on drugs, what could do this? No, thats not it at all, the nurse responded. See, I was somewhere around 8 or 9 years old when I saw my brother abusing one of our dogs. It is my considered opinion that had this been a black Bryce, hewould be dead right now. Then with the teens arms handcuffed behind him, Runnels dropped the teens limp body face-first onto the pavement.