Podcast Summary: What Police Weren’t Told About Tasers

Podcast: Reveal (The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX)
Episode Date: August 16, 2025
Host: Al Letson
Reporting & Story: Nick Barradini, in partnership with Lava for Good’s Absolute Taser Inc.

Overview:

This episode investigates the hidden dangers of Tasers, a device sold to police as a non-lethal weapon, and what law enforcement was not told about its risks—specifically, the risk of causing cardiac arrest. The story centers on the Masters family, whose teenage son suffered catastrophic injuries after being tased by a police officer, and tracks the evolution of Taser International (now Axon), the training and claims made to police, and the legal battles that followed. Through reporting, first-person accounts, and investigation into research and litigation, Reveal explores corporate responsibility, the reliability of police training, and the consequences for real families.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Invention and Rise of the Taser (01:07–04:23)

• Early Attempts: Greg Meyer (retired LAPD) recalls the search for non-lethal tools in the 1970s, including bizarre suggestions like bullwhips, before discovering early electric gun technology.

  “We actually had this guy in Australia say that we should use bullwhips on people because that's what they use. And it's like, what?” – Greg Meyer (02:24)

• Initial Technical Failures: The first generation of Tasers often failed to work on combative subjects and was “not ready for prime time” (03:20).
• Commercial Success: Rick Smith, a Harvard biology grad, founded Taser International, using showy sales tactics to demonstrate the Taser’s effect on even the “biggest, toughest” officers (03:41–03:59).
• Adoption: By 2001, thousands of agencies were buying Tasers. They were hailed as revolutionary and credited with reducing police shootings.

2. The Myth of Total Safety (04:23–06:33)

• Sold as Safe: Taser International built its business on the notion that its device was virtually harmless, positioning it as a game-changing compliance tool.
• Reality Check: As use skyrocketed, so did reports of serious injuries and fatalities, undermining the “non-lethal” claim.

3. Personal Story: The Masters Family and the Consequence of Taser Use (05:16–16:11, 24:46–28:01)

• Background: Matt Masters, a Kansas City PD officer, used and trusted the Taser, influenced by official training materials that asserted its safety.

• The Incident (09:39–14:43):

  • Bryce Masters, Matt’s teenage son, is pulled over and Tased by Officer Timothy Runnels during a traffic stop in Independence, Missouri.
  • He suffers cardiac arrest, does not breathe for 7–8 minutes, and displays signs of severe brain damage.
  • His parents learn from a neurologist that “the Taser caused this”—a possibility Matt had never considered based on his training.

• Emotional Impact:

  “I just remember feeling like, do I want him to live?” – Stacy Masters (15:13)

• Matt’s Disbelief & Research:

  • Matt clings to official Taser training, which insists such outcomes are impossible.
  • Over time, prompted by his family’s experience and his research, he finds overlooked studies confirming Tasers can induce cardiac arrest.

4. The Flawed Science and Hidden Research (19:01–24:29)

• Training Cited Faulty Evidence:
  • PowerPoints given to police called the Taser “weaker than a Christmas light bulb.”
  • Mike Leonisio, former Oakland PD officer/trainer, trusted Taser’s safety claims—until he saw the company’s animal testing.
• The Pig Studies (20:36–23:26):
  • At company tests, pigs shocked by Tasers sometimes suffered cardiac arrest (asystole).
  • Taser researchers admitted they’d “seen that before,” but such findings went unpublished or unreported within officer training.

  “That's not supposed to happen. I mean, cardiac effects…They told us for years that this doesn't have cardiac effects.” – Mike Leonisio (22:41–22:45)

  • These studies indicated that Taser shocks could capture and override a heart's rhythm, directly contradicting company claims to police.

5. The Video Evidence and Legal Fallout (28:01–32:04)

• Body Camera Footage (28:42–30:38):
  • Video showed Bryce tased for at least 20 seconds (four times the standard five-second cycle), then violently thrown face-down.
  • This was outside of department policy, but the excessive tasing and the resulting injury were not well understood among rank-and-file officers.
• Accountability Gap:
  • The officer, Timothy Runnels, ultimately went to federal prison—but not for tasing Bryce, rather for assaulting him after he was down.
  • The prosecution decided that the Taser use was “reasonable and within common police practice.”

  “The moment Matt says he was waiting for, when they would go over what happened to Bryce and bring up that there was a chance the Taser could cause cardiac arrest, that warning never came up.” – Narrator (31:54–32:04)

  • Matt Masters: “You’re sitting there going, hey, my kid got tased and went into cardiac arrest...come talk to this guy, right?” (32:04)

6. How Taser International Avoided Corporate Responsibility (33:12–44:02)

• Lawsuits and Discovery (34:00–38:23):
  • Attorney John Burton uncovered evidence that Taser International downplayed peak electrical current data, which made the device appear much more benign than it was.
  • Notable quote:

    “Using average current would be like trying to argue your way out of a speeding ticket using your average speed.” – Narrator (35:47)

  • Pig studies within the company documented cardiac capture, meaning the Taser could and did affect the heart.
  • In 2009, amidst mounting lawsuits, Taser International finally issued a bulletin suggesting police “avoid chest shots”—but denied any real risk, framing the advice as risk management against lawsuits, not a safety imperative (39:38–40:38).
• Continued Denial:

  “Are chest hits with the Taser dangerous? And the answer to that is definitively no.” – Rick Smith, CEO (33:12 and 39:44) “There is an acknowledgement that there’s a minute possibility that a shot to the chest could result in cardiac arrest… We cannot prove it’s zero.” – Rick Smith (40:58–41:17)

• Legal Pivots:
  • The 2009 warning shifted liability from the company to individual officers, who now were held responsible for any errors, regardless of their training.

7. The Final Reckoning and Master’s Lawsuit (42:07–47:05)

• Suing Taser/Axon:

  • Matt Masters’ family teamed up with John Burton to sue, but found that the company’s new disclaimers and warning documents limited legal liability.
  • Instead, they targeted Officer Runnels in court.
  • Former trainer Mike Leonisio testified about the compound harm of repeated tasing—each cycle a separate use of force—helping the jury see how excessive it was.

  “There’s still a lot of officers out there today who, because of department training, don't understand the capabilities of this weapon.” – Mike Leonisio (47:05)

• Outcome:

  • Runnels was held at fault again, Bryce received a $6.5 million settlement for his injuries, but Axon/Taser avoided responsibility in court.
  • The Masters family viewed the result as only a partial measure of justice.

  “Do you feel like they got away with it a little bit?” – Narrator
  “Oh, yeah. 100%.” – Matt Masters (48:33–48:36)
  “By design, they got away with everything.” – Stacy Masters (48:36)

8. Taser International Becomes Axon—Expansion and Remaining Concerns (48:46–end)

• Corporate Survival:
  • In 2017, Taser International rebranded as Axon Enterprise.
  • The company has expanded to body cams, drones, AI—and now sells to civilian markets, with an estimated worth over $60 billion.
• Enduring Risk and Caveat:
  • Officers still rarely receive complete training about cardiac risks.
  • Bryce Masters lives with long-term brain damage, memory problems, and emotional regulation issues due to being tased.
  • Axon and Rick Smith have avoided direct accountability and, despite decades of reporting and legal action, executives declined to be interviewed for the series.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Taser’s pain:

  “It was the most excruciating pain… you just lock up. That shock goes through you… excruciating pain. But… there is no more pain. It’s weird.” – Matt Masters (05:35)

• Parental fear:

  “I didn't want to see him moving that way.” – Stacy Masters, on seeing her son’s brain-damage-induced posturing (14:25)

• On Taser propaganda:

  “They had convinced their customer base… that this device was absolutely safe and that anybody who says differently is just trying to take this great tool away from you.” – Greg Meyer, recapping company marketing (34:00–34:20)

• Denial in training:

  “When I first got trained… you know, fast forward to 2014. Ten years later. There was no change in what I was trained in.” – Matt Masters (27:38–27:54)

• Expert testimony:

  “Every five second Taser shot was its own individual use of force.” – Mike Leonisio’s key legal insight (47:05)

• On corporate evasion:

  “So now what they do is they put the onus on the officers.” – John Burton (45:18)

• Systemic frustration:

  “How do you live with yourself… No, you're really, you're not saving lives 100%.” – Matt Masters, on Axon/Taser’s leadership (48:03) “By design, they got away with everything.” – Stacy Masters (48:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro, Taser’s Origin & Early Adoption: 01:07–04:23
• Transformation into ‘Everyday Compliance’ Tool: 06:00–07:45
• Bryce Masters’ Traffic Stop and Injury: 09:39–15:13
• Doctors Reveal Taser Can Cause Cardiac Arrest: 15:49–16:11
• Animal Testing and Hidden Research: 20:36–23:26
• Bodycam Video of Bryce’s Tasing: 28:42–30:38
• Internal Company Denials and Legal Strategy: 33:12–44:02
• Expert Testimony and Lawsuit Resolution: 47:05–47:51
• Corporate Rebranding and Legacy: 48:46–end

Summary in a Nutshell

"What Police Weren’t Told About Tasers" exposes the disconnect between Taser/Axon International’s marketing and the reality of its product’s risks, as experienced by officers, victims, and families. The company’s training materials promised safety while private research and legal discovery showed a risk of death—facts rarely communicated to law enforcement. Personal tragedy meets investigative reporting to uncover that, for years, police and the public were misled about the dangers of this weapon, with long-term consequences for individuals, families, and the justice system.