As part of his guilty plea, Runnels admitted that, while he . Minutes later, Curtis called Matt again. Tased in the Chest for 23 Seconds, Dead for 8 Minutes, Now Facing a Lifetime of Recovery. 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. 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. 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. 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. In the whirlwind of activity, Matt and Stacy realized they hadnt yet received an official medical explanation for what caused Bryces cardiac arrest. Drawing shapes, holding objects firmly in his hand, walking without a limp, hearing a story and trying to synopsize it back to the storyteller things that used to be second nature were now exhausting chores. 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. For Stacy, though, the worst part was looking at his limbs. By Sunday, Bryce was ready to leave the hospital. Matt was irate, screaming, You bunch of fucking cowboys! at the officers assembled to gather evidence. share. Matt sees the good in what Tasers can do, under the right circumstances. OurFreedom of Information Act project. It was emotional for both sides. The FBI arrived within the hour. Runnels grabbed his Taser from his belt and pointed it at Bryce, who repeatedly asked what he was being pulled over for. By the time the Masters arrived, paramedics were on the scene, attending to Bryce. "Today the jury sent a clear message to law enforcement that excessive force will . 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. Bryce was showing acute signs of decorticate posturing, a symptom of severe brain damage. While the majority of law enforcement safeguards our communities with fidelity, the department will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute officers who violate their oath by using excessive force., This former police officer was trained and entrusted to enforce the law impartially, said U.S. Attorney Dickinson. If no positive reviews are shown, then no reviews are currently on file. They understood Tasers to be safe tools, but tools that were used on suspects who posed a threat to officers. And, when they do, theres someone on the receiving end of that., In his sons case, an officer is paying for his bad decision. 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. Roughly every 30minutes that night, Bryce would forget what happened to him. Consider what the world of media would look like without The Intercept. A former Independence police officer who injured a teen driver during a 2014 traffic stop was sentenced Wednesday to four years in federal prison. 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. The hearing lasted no more than 30minutes. But in the summer of 2014, Bryce started having run-ins with the local police. 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. We need White people of good conscience to join the fight against police cruelty and unlawful behavior. That Friday, Matt, Stacy, and Bryce walked into a courtroom at the Charles Evans Whittaker Courthouse in downtown Kansas City. A scuffle ensued and Morgan was surrounded by four officers, who began firing when they spotted his service weapon. How many covert wars, miscarriages of justice, and dystopian technologies would remain hidden if our reporters werent on the beat? Matt peppered the FBI agents with questions during that first meeting, but he didnt receive many answers. Posted by 6 days ago. Even the victim, 18-year-old Bryce Masters, had seen it only once. He politely let them know that Bryce was doing OK, leaving details unsaid. Our law has been submitted as a Resolution to the NAACP. Timothy is related to Carolyn Ann Runnels . The dashcam video showed officerssearching through Bryces vehicle asBryce was carted off in an ambulance. Then with the teens arms handcuffed behind him, Runnels dropped the teens limp body face-first onto the pavement. All rights reserved. I didnt need training to know that what he was doing was very, very wrong. Witness video of Independence officer Tim Runnels arresting Bryce Masters following a traffic stop Sunday in Independence. He realized they didnt know any better. She loved children and retired after 32 years of working at Jack and Jill and . He hadnt seen most of them for a while, so they all made small talk. If you have had a positive experience with Dr. Timothy D Runnels, DC, please use the green "Submit a Positive Review" button below to submit a review about Dr. Timothy D Runnels, DC. NINTH GRADE HONOR ROLL: Darren Abel, Elliott Anthony, Macy Aparicio, Carter Bainter, Caleb Bennett, Peyton Black, Zachary Bolen, Jesse Bryant, Courtney Carter, Cameron Casto, Jacob Cline, Broghan Cooper, Jordan Cordell, Meghan Cory, Audrey Craig, Jake Daniels, Makenna Davis, Jadyn Dawson, [] Stacy recalled pointing to one of the officers on the scene and asking Curtis, Is that the one who did it?. Nick Berardini[emailprotected]gmail.com@NickBerardini, Matt Stroud[emailprotected]gmail.com@MattStroud. Weve all been duped. 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. Secure .gov websites use HTTPS The Taser did this. A former Independence police officer who used a Taser on a teenager during a traffic stop last year has pleaded guilty to charges he violated the teen's constitutional rights. He was sentenced to four years in prison after pleading in 2015 to one count of deprivation of rights. If Runnels was trained when he was hired in 2007, unless he was adequately re-certified with updated information about the risks of cardiac arrest, it was likely he and Matt had the same false understanding of the weapon they both carried. By Monday morning, September 15, Bryces core temperature had reached 92.6 degrees 6degrees below normal. Matt called the FBI again. Former Independence Police Officer, Timothy Runnels, sentenced to four years in Federal prison for use of excessive force during traffic stop. Worse, they were afraid his emotional vulnerability would cause him to take his own life. Toward the end of Runnels sentencing hearing on May 26, Bryce stepped to the front of the courtroom to give his victim impact statement. Timothy Runnels electrocuted the teen for 23 seconds during traffic stop, more than four times longer than cops are . Dr. Stanley Augustin, the chief trauma surgeon, joined the conversation. His mom and dad held his hand. I knew, in my heart, that I didnt do anything wrong to him, he said. Matt headed to jail and posted Bryces bail. Give me your hand, youre under arrest, Runnels said. The young man lived, and Matt was justified, the grand jury found, but even then, it made him extremely uncomfortable. The conversation was still fresh in Bryces mind on September 14 when Officer Runnels pulled him over. Bryce Masters awake at Centerpoint Medical Center, Independence, Missouri, Sept. 17, 2014. 3. 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.. 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. I still get what cops go through, the decision-making process, the damned if you do, damned if you dont process, Matt said. Then he pulled him out of the car, handcuffed him, and drug him around the car. All rights reserved. By Wednesday morning, Independence police released Officer Runnels search warrant application, and the probable cause appeared to have changed. 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. He would sleep for a bit, forget again, then look in the mirror. Joining is simple and doesnt need to cost a lot: You can become a sustaining member for as little as $3 or $5 a month. Matt believes Runnels should have never been hired by Independence after he resigned from Kansas City. He can recall family and friends coming in to offer their support, standing around his bed. In November 2014, Bryces case was back in the news with reports thatRunnels had left the Independence police force. It looked like he hit his head on the concrete. While we are pleased that Mr. Runnels was held accountable for his actions, no one really wins in this scenario. Matt also had to endure half a dozen funny Taser videos between slides. A full 23 seconds after Runnels pulled the trigger on the X26 Taser, he let it go and handcuffed Bryce. Tears began to form in both his parents eyes, anticipating what everyone else in the room was about to see. Daily Kos moves in solidarity with the Black community. Lonnie Ali at her husbands funeral: America must never forget that when police and young black boys speak, great things can happen.. Wednesday afternoon, Bryces eyes began to scan his room inside the intensive care unit. That same month, Matt went in for his annual in-service update an hourlong training session in which officers go over updated information about how to legally deploy police tactics, including the use of Tasers. It is only fair. Matt Masters and Stacy Masters at their home on June 2, 2016. The video showing what OfficerTimothy Runnelsdid to the teenager is almost unwatchable. He and Stacy had been assured by the FBI that what Runnels did crossed the line. Last week we heard about former Independence, MO, police officer Timothy Runnels being sentenced to four years in a federal prison. Blood and mucus had crusted around Bryces nose. These are only estimates, but the more you know, the more . Why dont cops know all this? Certainly some did, but for all the years Matt had carried a Taser, he didnt know. Bryce Masters used his mobile phone to record his encounter with Officer Timothy Runnels on September 14, 2014. After going for so long without oxygen, at least some brain damage was inevitable. report. Runnels faced a dire sentence that day up to 10 years in federal prison. 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. When asked if he still has faith in the system, considering that Runnels is one of the rare officers to face criminal punishment for using excessive force, Matt shakes his head no. 1. They sat on the right side, with Runnelss family and friends on the left. (Sept. 14, 2014) 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 may not have known it at the time, but Bryce was going into cardiac arrest. 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