The jury found that Officer Timothy Runnels' continued taser pull was intentional and malicious.
After tasing Bryce Masters for about 20 seconds, Timothy Runnels dragged the unconscious teen several feet before dropping him face-down on the pavement.
Government officials enjoy broad protection against federal lawsuits, but a federal appeals court last week refused to extend it to an Independence police officer who was tagged with a $6.5 million jury verdict in a police brutality case.
In a rare instance of a court denying qualified immunity to a government official, the 8
th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the policeman, Timothy Runnels, had violated the teen victim’s right to be free from “an excessive, prolonged use” of a Taser.