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Teen Sues Police, Taser Over Stun-Gun-Induced Heart Attack

Jason Rojas
/
Flickr

  A Missouri teenager is suing after a police officer used a stun gun on him during a traffic stop, causing him to suffer a heart attack.

Bryce Masters sued the City of Independence and Taser International on Monday in federal court in Kansas City.

Masters, a police officer's son, nearly died in September 2014 when the officer shot him in the chest with a Taser. Masters was 17 at the time. The lawsuit says he suffered a brain injury that continues to affect his memory and cognitive abilities.

The officer, Timothy Runnels, is serving four years in federal prison for violating Masters' civil rights. Runnels has apologized and said he never meant to harm Masters.

Taser and police didn't immediately return messages from The Associated Press.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.