Reveal Podcast Summary

Episode: What Police Weren’t Told About Tasers
Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Al Letson, with reporting from Nick Barradini, The Center for Investigative Reporting, and PRX

Overview

This episode of Reveal investigates the history, marketing, and hidden dangers of the Taser—once hailed as a revolutionary, non-lethal weapon for police. Through Matt Masters’ family’s harrowing experience and reporter Nick Barradini’s years of research, the show explores how police were systematically kept in the dark about taser risks—most critically, the potential for cardiac arrest. It lays bare how Taser International (now Axon) shaped police understanding, the legal wranglings around responsibility, and the consequences for families, officers, and the justice system.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Origins and Promise of Tasers in Policing

• The quest for alternatives to deadly force began in the 1970s, driven by police looking to avoid gun violence ([00:50]–[01:43]).
  • Greg Meyer (LAPD, Ret.): “We gotta find a better way. And that’s how I ended up with the Non Lethal weapons project.” ([01:13])
• The early Taser models were unreliable but promised humane policing.
  • Rick Smith (Taser/Axon Founder): “We’d say to departments, bring your biggest, toughest guy. Think you can beat this? Here’s $100. We hit him with the Taser and boom, down they would go.” ([03:23])
• Adoption was rapid; departments embraced the Taser as a tool to minimize physical confrontations and reduce shootings ([03:41]–[04:02]).

2. The Transformation of Use: From Extreme Situations to Compliance Tool

• Officer Matt Masters describes how, in practice, Tasers became an everyday compliance device—not just for the most violent situations but for routine arrests ([05:44]–[06:17]).
  • Matt Masters: “It became more of a compliance tool, an everyday compliance tool. ‘Hey, put your hands behind your back. OK, watch this. And it was a Taser deployment, and that was how we were trained.” ([05:55])

3. Personal Tragedy: The Case of Bryce Masters

• Matt Masters’ son, Bryce, was tased during a traffic stop by Officer Timothy Runnels, leading to cardiac arrest and severe brain injury ([09:57]–[14:14]).
  • Stacey Masters (Bryce’s mother): “When they put him on the gurney ... I was looking into his eyes, and he was completely limp. ... There was just a blank.” ([11:43])
• Hospital staff immediately identified the Taser as the cause.
  • Dr. Stanley Augustin (surgeon): “He’s not on drugs. It was a Taser. Taser caused this.” ([15:33])
• Matt, a trained officer himself, was stunned: “I had no idea that was even possible.” ([15:55])

4. Hidden Research and the Reality of Cardiac Risks

• Reporter Nick Barradini reveals companies conducted animal (pig) studies showing Tasers could cause cardiac arrest decades before the risks were commonly known.
  • Mike Leonisio (former cop/trainer): “We shocked the pig into asystole ... cardiac effects—they told us for years that this doesn’t have cardiac effects.” ([23:02], [23:14])
  • Leonisio’s turning point: “You’re telling me that cardiac capture is no big deal? And that was a real turning point for me.” ([24:30])
• Despite these findings, training materials consistently minimized or denied the risks ([19:34]–[20:33]).

5. Training, Liability, and Deflection

• Officer training emphasized Taser International’s claim of safety, not the exceptions ([28:11], [28:27]).
  • Matt Masters: “Nobody ever told us any of this ... There was no change in what I was trained in from 2004 to 2014.” ([28:11])
• When legal pressures mounted, Taser International issued a 2009 bulletin suggesting officers avoid chest shots, but CEO Rick Smith insisted:
  • Rick Smith: “Are chest hits with the Taser dangerous? The answer is definitively no.” ([40:42])
• The bulletin was less honest warning than risk management—an attempt to shield the company from lawsuits ([41:10]).
  • Rick Smith: “The biggest reason here in my mind is risk management and avoiding the controversy.” ([41:10])

6. Legal Battles: Shifting Responsibility

• Lawyers John Burton and Peter Williamson succeeded in forcing Taser to change their warnings, but the company then used these warnings to pin responsibility on individual officers ([45:27]–[46:29]).
  • John Burton: “Now what they do is they put the onus on the officers.” ([46:08])
• Despite compelling evidence of risk, Taser International never admitted the weapon could kill ([45:33]).
• Officer Timothy Runnels was held legally responsible for excessive force, while the company evaded further accountability ([48:02]–[48:22]).

7. Enduring Impacts and Broader Significance

• The Masters’ family ultimately won a $6.5 million settlement, but felt justice was incomplete:
  • Matt Masters: “Do you feel like they got away with it?”
    Matt Masters: “Oh, yeah, 100%.”
    Stacey Masters: “By design, they got away with everything.” ([49:31]–[49:34])
• Axon is now a tech powerhouse, selling not just Tasers but surveillance tools to police and civilians alike, with a company valuation over $45 billion ([50:41]).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The Taser is weaker than a Christmas tree bulb.” – Training materials ([19:34])
• “It was a Taser. Taser caused this. I had no idea that that was even possible.” – Dr. Stanley Augustin & Matt Masters ([15:33], [15:55])
• “You’re telling me that cardiac capture is no big deal? And that was a real turning point for me.” – Mike Leonisio ([24:30])
• “Are chest hits with the Taser dangerous? The answer is definitively no.” – Rick Smith ([40:42])
• “I’m saving lives. Oh, you’re really—you’re not saving lives 100%.” – Matt Masters ([49:01])
• “By design, they got away with everything.” – Stacey Masters ([49:34])
• “Now what they do is they put the onus on the officers.” – John Burton ([46:08])
• “I don’t think that he understood that that weapon was capable of affecting the human heart.” – Mike Leonisio ([48:02])

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp (MM:SS) | Segment Summary | |-------------------|------------------| | 00:50–04:02 | History and marketing of Tasers in U.S. policing | | 05:09–07:29 | Officer Matt Masters on police Taser training and culture | | 09:57–15:55 | Bryce Masters’ traffic stop, injury, and hospital aftermath | | 19:34–25:02 | Nick Barradini & Mike Leonisio on animal studies and concealed risks | | 25:44–28:41 | FBI investigation and Matt Masters’ realization of hidden dangers | | 34:58–46:08 | Legal team’s efforts to expose and change Taser marketing/training | | 48:02–49:34 | Court outcomes, Masters family, and accountability | | 50:41 and after | Legacy: Axon’s growth, bodycams, surveillance, and the unresolved issues |

Tone and Language

The reporting and narration maintain a blend of investigative seriousness, empathy, and at times, frustration and disbelief at the institutional failures and corporate evasions. The speakers, especially the Masters family, are candid and emotional, underscoring the personal cost of the issues discussed.

Final Thoughts

This episode rigorously examines the gulf between Taser’s marketed safety and its reality, spotlighting how institutional incentives, legal maneuvering, and incomplete training left police and the public at risk. Through individual stories and expert investigation, it challenges listeners to consider not just what police are equipped with—but what they are, and aren’t, told.