A former Independence police officer who injured a teen driver during a 2014 traffic stop was sentenced Wednesday to four years in federal prison. share. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. Matt sees the good in what Tasers can do, under the right circumstances. Former Independence Police Officer, Timothy Runnels, sentenced to four years in Federal prison for use of excessive force during traffic stop. 4. Am I under arrest? Runnels seemed to reconsider using the Taser, holstered it, and then reached into the car, attempting to pull Bryce out. What happened to my teeth? he asked repeatedly. After going for so long without oxygen, at least some brain damage was inevitable. "The department remains committed to ensuring. Hey Matt, get here he just tased Bryce.. "Well, you better learn how to fight before you start challenging people," Martin reportedly told him at the time. By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. His face was swollen, with some dirt and asphalt mashed into his cheek. 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. Yeah, they had a heart attack, but the Taser didnt cause it. finds relevant news, identifies important training information, Who would hold party elites accountable to the values they proclaim to have? Who beat the shit out of me? Over the past couple weeks, we havetried to showthat the plague of police brutality is not only an existential threatto Black and Brown Americansbut that under a culture of Comply or Die coupled with aggressive over-policing, nobody is safe. Keeping these facts in mind, Matt thought back to his training, and Bryces case. 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. It was emotional for both sides. Matt wondered: If Dr. Augustin was right, and the Taser caused Bryces cardiac arrest, why hadnt he known about the risks? The complete dashcam video of Independence, Missouri, police officer Timothy Runnels tasering Bryce Masters on September 14, 2014. Former Officer Timothy Runnels was sentenced last week to four years in prison over the September 2014 incident. Just shoot them with the Taser, and its over and done with, Mattsaid. 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. The only thing the public knew waswhat had been reported, and what had been reported was that he resisted a lawful arrest, and his car smelled like marijuana. Yet the defenses argument for leniency was based on the claim that Runnels had acted reasonably as an officer right up until the moment he dropped Bryce on his face. It goes back to the way he was trained. Matt imagined the stop every day. Judge Dean Whipple had not yet watched the government's key piece of evidence a dashboard video because he wanted to do so with attorneys present to make arguments. He was fired from the Independence Police Department after the. Minutes later, Curtis called Matt again. The video opened with a shot from the dashcam of Runnelss cruiser, the road rolling by, trees and sidewalks passing on both sides. In finding that Runnels was not entitled to qualified immunity, the 8th Circuit adopted a position that it has rarely taken in the past. We need cops of good conscience to join the fight against their murderous brethren. Matt was irate, screaming, You bunch of fucking cowboys! at the officers assembled to gather evidence. When Masters refused to get out of his car, Runnels tried to drag him out, then drew his Taser and shot him. Runnels improper use of the Taser caused Bryce's heart to stop for eight minutes. Please donatehere. 83 comments. Kos Media, LLC. Our law has been submitted as a Resolution to the NAACP. I dont play games., Ive been tased a dozen times, Runnels said to Bryce. The best result we found for your search is Timothy Glynn Runnels age 60s in Atmore, AL. Bryce Masters received CPR after being tased by Officer Timothy Runnels (top right), Sept. 14, 2014. I cackled with malicious glee as only children can as I watched my grandma attempt to whup him for his transgression. They sat on the right side, with Runnelss family and friends on the left. All he had was the instinct that, as the son of a cop himself, he would have made sure to be respectful. Runnels also was indicted on charges of depriving Masters of his civil rights under color of law and obstruction of justice. 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. The permanent injury he struggles with every day came as a result of the Taser. Police said Morgan was belligerent and fired first, while Morgan said police started firing as soon as they saw his gun, and denied firing a shot, the report notes. Bryce was still getting an MRI when a neurologist working on his case pulled Matt and Stacy into a private room and explained that she had calculated Bryces Glasgow Coma Score, a point system designed to gauge the severity of a brain injury. Runnels, who was fired from the Independence Police Department after his encounter with Masters, pleaded guilty in 2015 to a single deprivation of rights charge and was sentenced to four years in. It is well nigh impossible to prove that a black personscivil rights has been violated. Interment will follow in the Largent Cemetery. This is a screengrab of the Summary and Title of the Ballot Initiative sent to us bythe California Department of Justice: We await word from the Secretary of State who will be sending us a schedule with the maximum filing deadline and the certification deadline. The Masters could see Bryces heart heaving up and down on the screen, an indication that he was going through cardiac arrest. Baristas at two Kansas City-area Starbucks locations plan to unionize. No one said anything about avoiding the chest, and this was five years after Taser International officially changed the target area. Even on the night of Runnels sentencing, Bryce said, he was followed by an Independence squad car for at least 3miles. I read Zipes study, and it just blew me away, Matt remembered. A federal felony is not a slap on the wrist, Hobbs said. His bike was stolen, and Ali told a police officer, Joe Martin, that he wanted to beat up the thief. I felt ashamed, because I didnt want to watch it. Timothy Runnels was sentenced to four years behind bars for the 2014 tas Matt consoled him and told him it was OK, but also said that he needed to apologize to his mom. Instead of getting angry at his fellow officers, though, Matt felt sympathy for them. He would feel his mouth and turn to his parents. As part of his guilty plea, Runnels admitted that while he was employed as an officer of the Independence Police Department, he deprived the minor of his civil rights by deliberately dropping the minor face first onto the ground while the minor was restrained and not posing a threat to Runnels or others. The Masters didnt worry much about Bryce in high school. Matt peppered the FBI agents with questions during that first meeting, but he didnt receive many answers. 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. His skin was pale, and his lips were light blue. Runnels didnt answer. Matt arrived at the hospital and went straight to the intensive care unit. He achieved his Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Houston, and afterward pursued his chiropractic Doctorate at the Texas Chiropractic College. 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. Get your ass out of the car, andattempts to pull him out by force. His mom and dad held his hand. 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. Bryce will forget that an event has occurred, and then get irritated with his parents for reminding him that it has. In November 2014, Bryces case was back in the news with reports thatRunnels had left the Independence police force. It was easier for himto view Runnelss actions as an error of judgment exacerbated by ignorance. "Today the jury sent a clear message to law enforcement that excessive force will . In hindsight, Matt was fixated on the Taser and not on the other evidence in front of him. They had seen the dashboard video and had a clear picture of what happened. Posted by 6 days ago. I havent done anything officer, Bryce yelled. 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. Daily Kos moves in solidarity with the Black community. Eventually, they asked him how Bryce was doing. As a cop, though, he couldnt escape the thought that Bryce had somehow provoked him. He was incredulous. What does an officer know about the Taser? he asked. But, deep down, she understood what Bryce was up against. They had him on a stretcher, ready to go to the hospital. 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. She loved children and retired after 32 years of working at Jack and Jill and . Riveting article. The recent Tasering of then 17 year-old Bryce Masters by Missouri cop Timothy Runnels has sparked outrage in the community and around the world. As the video openswe seea gray Pontiac enter the frame, and Bryces dad, Matt, put his hand on his sons knee. Officer Timothy Runnels stopped Bryce Masters, 17, in the Kansas City suburb of Independence, Missouri, on Sept. 14, 2014 because Masters was driving a car owned by a woman with an outstanding. That Friday, Matt, Stacy, and Bryce walked into a courtroom at the Charles Evans Whittaker Courthouse in downtown Kansas City. As he looked Bryce over, Matt casually floated his positional asphyxia theory. His most vivid recollection was the intense pain coming from his mouth. The officers found half a joint but let them go. A federal judge ordered that the. Dozens of visitors, including many of Matts colleagues from Kansas City, descended on the hospital to offer support. Runnels wrote that he observed the vehicle to have darkly tinted windows, and that after Bryce partially rolled down his window, he detected an odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle. Runnels maintained that there was a warrant associated with the license plate, but FBI agents told Mattthat the plate number would have provided details for a woman, with a different car, from a different county. Copyright 2023 Police1. Bryce Masters in a coma at Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence, Missouri, Sept. 16, 2014. As the ambulance took Bryce to Centerpoint Medical Center, Matt decided to stay to make sure Independence investigators appropriately collected evidence, assuming Bryce would recover. Another officer put his head inside Bryces car and said, It stinks bad in there like marijuana. Masters nearly died, according to testimony last week. Masters was able to crawl out of his car before falling unconscious face-down on the pavement. 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 He graduated from said college in 2002. In the medical world, Tasers causing cardiac arrest was apparently a well-established phenomenon. Timothy Runnels pleaded guilty in September to violating the civil rights of then 17-year-old Bryce Masters during a 2014 traffic stop. Officer Gillihan was involved again. Cops do fuck up. But Bryce wasnt moving. Rick Guilbault, the former head of training at Taser International, testified on behalf of Runnels that his use of the Taser was consistent with common practice and training. The recent Tasering of then 17-year-old Bryce Masters by Missouri cop Timothy Runnels has sparked outrage in the community and around the world. Because youre only as good as the training.. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the policeman, Timothy Runnels, had violated the teen victims right to be free from an excessive, prolonged use of a Taser. They couldnt hear the siren when Runnels turned it on, but they soon saw the Pontiac slowing down, pulling to the side of the road, stopping. The video shook the convictions he had always held about law enforcement officers. The details didnt make sense to Matt and Stacy. It is not recognized by the American Medical Association or the American Psychological Association, nor is itlisted in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Matt Masters and Stacy Masters at their home on June 2, 2016. The week of September 7, 2015, the Masters got a phone call from Ketchmark. Masters went into cardiac arrest after Runnels used a stun gun on him after the teen refused to get out of his car. As part of his guilty plea, Runnels admitted that while he was employed as an officer of the Independence Police Department, he deprived the minor of his civil rights by deliberately dropping the minor face first onto the ground while the minor was restrained and not posing a threat to Runnels or others. Two years ago, for example, it upheld the denial of qualified immunity to an officer who slammed a nonthreatening, nonviolent woman to the ground, breaking her collarbone and knocking her unconscious. Bryce wasnt fighting anybody.. In the whirlwind of activity, Matt and Stacy realized they hadnt yet received an official medical explanation for what caused Bryces cardiac arrest. But in more recent comments to a state investigator, Tolbert said that he drew the crime scene and Sanford only drew the bodies. If thats my right, why would I let some cop try to take it away?, Matt felt betrayed. Timothy Runnels Case Summary On 06/12/2019 Bryce Masters filed a Civil Right - Other Civil Right lawsuit against Timothy Runnels. 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. Tased in the Chest for 23 Seconds, Dead for 8 Minutes, Now Facing a Lifetime of Recovery. He knew this piece of evidence absolved him of any wrongdoing. Federal prison records show he was released on Dec. 27, 2019. Runnels seemed to ignore all this and, as the video shot by a neighbor makes clear, he put his rightfoot onto Bryces back. It really should be that if someone with the power to deprive others of life, liberty, and freedom is found to have falsified evidence that resulted in a conviction, then they themselves should be sentenced to the full term that the charge carries. Driver uncooperative, struggles, taser deployed, additional struggle. 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. It was deliberate, cold, and devoid of empathy or humanity. Organize a group to go to a meeting with your congressperson. One pull on the trigger sent electricity shooting out for five seconds; Runnels had held it down the equivalent of four pulls. Runnels grabbedBryces cellphone, throwing it in front of the car, demanding that he get on the ground. Bryces brain was deprived of oxygen for six to eight minutes while he was in cardiac arrest. Runnels had once been an officer inthe Kansas City Police Department, though Matt didnt work in his sector. Timothy Runnels electrocuted the teen for 23 seconds during traffic stop, more than four times longer than cops are . During the otherwise unobjectionable story, Runnels said he and his friends decided to switch tactics and try nigger hunting instead. Tasers told everybody, If youve got to put your hands on somebody, why? 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.. He was especially concerned about officers trained before 2009, who may have never been re-trained on updated information. My brother is 8 years older. With the support of readers, we publicize our results through letters to the editor, press releases, and petitions. He wanted the judge to know he was a good person, a strong person, and despite all hed been through, determined to make the most out of his life. The officer pushed him against the car and began digging through his pockets. You could see blood coming out of his mouth. Am I under arrest? Nineteen Republican governors chose to kill poor people by not expanding Medicaid. Stacy was comfortable with Matt remaining at the scene, not realizing what she would face when she arrived at the hospital. 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. The video and other evidence presented at the sentencing demonstrates that Runnels then deliberately dropped the handcuffed victim face-first into the pavement. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS Single tears began to run down his face, but his pain was a good sign. I dont know, she said. Dont use it on suspects who are just passively resisting. Matt started searching the internet for Taser deaths and cardiac arrest. Timothy Runnels, a 32-year-old former Independence, Missouri, police officer, sat at a large, rectangular defense table inside Courtroom 8B at the Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Courthouse in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, late last month. Bryce tried to appreciate the moment, but he wasnt nave. Dont give me that bullshit, he now thought. It was the Taser that almost killed Bryce. He started to see the holes in excited delirium as a catch-all for Taser-related deaths. 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.'. He was arrested and charged. Timothy Runnels, a 32-year-old former Independence, Missouri, police officer, sat at a large, rectangular defense table inside Courtroom 8B at the Charles Evans Whittaker Federal Courthouse in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, late last month. ET.". Today, he sees law enforcement through the eyes of a victim. The catalyst for the crime was the 23-second Taser deployment straight into Bryces chest. She told the Masters that Bryce had scored a three. Most of the damage Bryce suffered, though, was done to his psyche. Matt also had to endure half a dozen funny Taser videos between slides. His memory had improved a bit. He took a shot right to the heart, and that sent him into cardiac arrest.. Hes got his hand up on his car, his shades on, and hes looking pleased with himself, Stacy said. 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. Thats what caused him to go into cardiac arrest. 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