Bryce Masters, then 17, was pulled over by Officer Runnels and was told that his car's license plate was linked to a suspect. 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. He has worked on SWAT teams and has been part of Kansas Citys police narcotics unit, taking point on an estimated 1,000 search warrants during one three-year span. 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. The Kansas City Star INDEPENDENCE, Mo. Runnels needed to be held accountable for his actions, and they were disappointed the government accepted a plea deal based on only one of the charges. It was Bryces only option, doctors told Matt and Stacy. Facebook gives people the power. Dr. Zipes is one of the worlds pre-eminent electrophysiologists (and often a witness against Taser International in product liability suits), so when Matt read the study he understood Dr. Augustins certainty in Bryces case. Bryce Masters used his mobile phone to record his encounter with Officer Timothy Runnels on September 14, 2014. He stopped the gray Pontiac because he believed the . 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 . I dont play games., Ive been tased a dozen times, Runnels said to Bryce. He was especially concerned about officers trained before 2009, who may have never been re-trained on updated information. I cackled with malicious glee as only children can as I watched my grandma attempt to whup him for his transgression. He asked Masters to get out of the car, but the . Bryce Masters received CPR after being tased by Officer Timothy Runnels (top right), Sept. 14, 2014. Timothy Runnels Subscribe to this topic via RSS or ATOM Topic - Timothy Runnels Related Stories Man hit by Taser by Independence cop awarded $6.5 million Associated Press Mediator to hear. He was athletic and made good grades. The Department of Justice included parts of our law in their reports on Ferguson, Missouri, in 2015. It is well nigh impossible to prove that a black personscivil rights has been violated. Wake up, guy, the officer said. 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. Get your ass out of the car, andattempts to pull him out by force. More importantly, if there was no warrant associated with Bryce or his car, why was he stopped in the first place? Tears began to form in both his parents eyes, anticipating what everyone else in the room was about to see. Of course, no such luck for Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Sandra Brown(a pause to catch mybreath). Finally, in 2009, Taser International released the bulletin suggesting that officers should avoid shooting suspects in the chest when possible. Bryce Masters and his family at their home on June 2, 2016. Weve all been duped. We didnt think death, Matt remembered. The more they discussed the question, the more sobering it became. He said hed once been funny and quick-witted, and could fit in with lots of different groups. While he still values the profession, his newfound empathy made him more aware of the real damage some officers inflict. So Runnels grabbed him by the armsand pulled him, with the boys legs dragging on the ground between Runnels shuffling feet, toward the side of the road. Runnels was also indicted on charges of depriving Masters of his civil rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. Of all those involved in this case, I was most interested in the reaction of Bryces dad who is himself a cop. Independence is bigger than it seems with about 117,000 residents, the fourth-largest city in the state but still has the feel of a tight-knit, middle-class community. They told him that they were disappointed he was smoking marijuana but that his civil rights had been violated. He knows there are manydeserving cases, especially involving minority victims, that never see the inside of a courtroom. Then and only then well see an end to this crap. Call every week. Runnels walked toward the passenger side door. 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. 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. Runnels had once been an officer inthe Kansas City Police Department, though Matt didnt work in his sector. Our thoughts and prayers are with him. I havent done anything officer, Bryce yelled. Later, when they got home and Bryce described what had happened, something about the arrest didnt seem right. 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 Missouri officer, Timothy Runnels, was sentenced last week to four years behind bars for the 2014 tasering arrest that put teenager in a Bryce Masters coma. But for another three years, Taser International training slides continued to avoid mentioning potential cardiac effects. Mrs. Runnels was born October 28, 1937 in Bland County, Virginia to the late Cornelia (Burkhead) and Walker Pauley, and died Friday, December 6, 2019 at her residence. He knows there are manydeserving cases, especially involving minority victims, that never see the inside of a courtroom. They argue the doctrine has been a major obstacle to police accountability. Weve been fooled by a company that has made millions and millions of dollars off of the police departments.. Its the only thing we need, Matt remembered an agent telling him. His use of excessive force violated both the publics trust and his oath to uphold the law. 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. Timothy Kendall Runnels Addresses 56th St NE , Snohomish, WA Ridge Rd , Orondo, WA PO Box , Mill Creek, WA Relatives Laurin R McCrory Timothy Allen Runnels Matt H Runnels Helen Jean Runnels + 1 more Phone Numbers (425) nay - peek (425) nay - peek View phones View Tim's Current Address | View Tim's Phone Best Match Powered by Whitepages Premium The court found that the law surrounding the officers use of force was not clearly established. 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 custody. Bryce wasnt fighting anybody.. But I did.. 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. Former Independence Police Officer, Timothy Runnels, sentenced to four years in Federal prison for use of excessive force during traffic stop. A snapping thud filled the room the sound of Bryces 175-pound frame hitting the pavement as his teeth crashed together and his jaw dislocated. 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. His attorney, J.R. Hobbs, asked Whipple to place Runnels on probation. However, the future he once imagined for himself was now likely out of reach. Officer Gillihan was involved again. _____________________________________________________________. Two law enforcement families were devastated by these events and we all simply wish that day had never happened.. Runnels grabbed his Taser from his belt and pointed it at Bryce, who repeatedly asked what he was being pulled over for. 1. President Obama signed into a law a small piece of our bill in December 2014. His chin was split open. They put ice packs around his body to prevent his brain from swelling. The permanent injury he struggles with every day came as a result of the Taser. Riveting article. ""He lives not only with memory deficiencies and other cognitive impairments, he has post-traumatic stress, extreme anxiety, and severe insomnia that makes interpersonal relationships challenging and difficult to an extent that they were not before his anoxic brain injury," the suit states." He read a study by Patrick J. Tchou, a cardiac electrophysiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Taser International Inc. headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona. He knew this piece of evidence absolved him of any wrongdoing. Matt was irate, screaming, You bunch of fucking cowboys! at the officers assembled to gather evidence. 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. He had to serve time. Bryce has vague memories of that Wednesday night. This time, he didnt reconsider. The video shook the convictions he had always held about law enforcement officers. . One of the obstruction charges dealt with the misleading police report. Youwere are the greatest. Being a convicted felon and losing the only career he ever aspired to was a significant punishment for Runnels, Hobbs said. 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. Hes going to prison. View the profiles of people named Timothy Runnels. He jumped up from his seat and yelled, What the fuck? Lonnie Ali at her husbands funeral: America must never forget that when police and young black boys speak, great things can happen.. I knew, in my heart, that I didnt do anything wrong to him, he said. 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. I dont know, she said. For the next 24 hours, he would be in limbo as his brain tried to heal itself. We saw that Tamirs murderer drove up on him and two seconds later the boy was taking his last breaths. As it happens, the concept of excited delirium is highly controversial. Stacy was comfortable with Matt remaining at the scene, not realizing what she would face when she arrived at the hospital. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. Stacy just looked on in horror. Finally, the Masters thought, they were going to get some closure and understand exactly what went wrong. Long ago history and recent events informmy opinion. My beloved, trifling older brother cooked baby potatoes and while they were still hot he threw them one at a time at Needle whod catch them, spit them out and go on to catch the next. Eventually, Bryce went back to sleep. Timothy Runnels, et al Case Summary On 06/17/2019 Bryce Masters filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right lawsuit against Timothy Runnels ,. Nurses cut his clothes off. Frustrated, Runnels marched around the rear of the car to the drivers side and opened the door, telling Bryce to get out. Today, he sees law enforcement through the eyes of a victim. KCUR serves the Kansas City region with breaking news and powerful storytelling. "The department remains committed to ensuring. 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. Matt Masters does not agree that the Taser use was reasonable, but he agrees it was common police practice. People were just shaking their heads, Stacy said. Dr. Augustin was firm. Holy fuck, let off the goddamn trigger!. Nick Berardini[emailprotected]gmail.com@NickBerardini, Matt Stroud[emailprotected]gmail.com@MattStroud. First responders revived him, but he suffered hypoxia or oxygen deficiency to the brain. Our law has been submitted as a Resolution to the NAACP. 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. A rare instance when a cop actually went to jail for excessive force. Independence, Missouri, is an aging suburb, the kind of place wealthy residents of Kansas City used to move to. When you cross that line, there are going to be consequences and they are going to be severe, he told the judge last week. Bryce began to moan.You dont like to play by the rules, do you, Runnels said. And, when they do, theres someone on the receiving end of that., In his sons case, an officer is paying for his bad decision. If thats my right, why would I let some cop try to take it away?, Matt felt betrayed. His face was swollen, with some dirt and asphalt mashed into his cheek. Matt peppered the FBI agents with questions during that first meeting, but he didnt receive many answers. On April 5, for instance, Matt and Stacy wanted to surprise Bryce with tickets to a Kansas City Royals game. He politely let them know that Bryce was doing OK, leaving details unsaid. But Taser International has latched onto the diagnosis as a way to explain many deaths that occur after someone has been shocked with a Taser. 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 would spend several hours cooling down, stay cooled for a minimum of 24 hours, and then be slowly warmed back up. save. Even the victim, 18-year-old Bryce Masters, had seen it only once. Bryce Masters, 17, suffered a cardiac arrest after being Tasered in 2014. KANSAS CITY, MO Video released on Monday shows a new view of the moment a police officer used a taser on a teenager. I dont think Ill ever, ever be able to forget that., As hard as it was to watch, Bryce felt vindicated. A twenty-three second jolt of 50,000 watts ended his life for a short time resulting in irreparable brain damage. You can receive all future diariesof Support the Dream Defenders in your Daily KosStreamby clickinghere. In finding that Runnels was not entitled to qualified immunity, the 8th Circuit adopted a position that it has rarely taken in the past. 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