Use of force brings charges against Missouri police officer

By Kevin Murphy KANSAS CITY, Mo (Reuters) - A former Missouri police officer was indicted on federal civil rights violations and obstruction of justice charges involving his use of a stun gun and other force on a teenager, the U.S. Justice Department said on Friday. Tim Runnels, who used to be an officer with the police department in the Kansas City suburb of Independence, Missouri, pleaded not guilty to the charges, court records show. Runnels stopped motorist Bryce Masters, 17, on Sept. 14 because he was driving a car owned by a woman who had an outstanding warrant, Independence police said at the time. Runnels used a stun gun on Masters after he was uncooperative, and the woman was not in the car, police said. The Justice Department said in a statement that the grand jury indictment charges Runnels with two counts of civil rights violation. They stem from Runnels allegedly using the Taser continuously while Masters was on the ground and deliberately dropping him headfirst onto the ground while he was restrained and posing no threat, the statement said. The indictment says that Masters was injured. The indictment also charges Runnels with two counts of obstruction of justice, alleging he filed false reports to police about the incident and the amount of force he used. The charges come amid heightened attention to excessive use of force by police, especially by white officers on black citizens. Runnels and Masters are white. If convicted, Runnels faces up to 10 years in prison on each of the civil rights charges and up to 20 years on the obstruction of justice charges, plus fines on three of the counts, the Justice Department statement said. (Reporting by Kevin Murphy in Kansas City; Editing by Ian Simpson and Sandra Maler)