The City of Hercules and three police officers are facing a lawsuit claiming the officers used excessive force, including a Taser, on a man who was unable to respond to their commands because he had just suffered from an epileptic seizure.
KTVU (Ch. 2) covered the story about the lawsuit filed this past Friday. In that lawsuit, 22-year-old Jack Bruce says he was on his way to his grandmother’s house on April 4, 2024, when he suffered his first ever seizure. As a result, the car he was driving rolled into a ditch just off of Refugio Valley Road near Country Run.
Other drivers stopped to help. They called 911 to state Bruce was apparently suffering from a seizure. According to the lawsuit, the responding Hercules police officers were informed of this before they encountered Bruce.
The lawsuit alleges that Bruce was unable to effectively respond to the officers’ commands while recovering from the seizure, and yet the officers ignored their training by forcefully removing him from the vehicle and Tasing him. Body cam footage released by KTVU shows officers cussing as they aggressively handled and Tased Bruce while removing him from the driver’s seat.
The lawsuit claims the officers later lied in the police report of the incident, stating they had probable cause to believe Bruce was under the influence, and adding that Bruce had attacked them.
Bruce says he doesn’t remember the incident, telling KTVU he last remembered being on his way to his grandmother’s house. He said injuries he suffered from the incident plagued him for months afterward. He is filing the lawsuit because he doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else again.
KTVU also interviewed Bruce’s father, John Bruce, who is a senior inspector with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office.
“If they just given him time to recover from what was strictly a medical emergency, then I believe none of that would have happened,” John said.
The case has caused concern in the community, and a statement in response from Hercules Mayor Dante Hall. The mayor says he understands the concern but was unable to provide details of the incident due to the lawsuit and ongoing investigation.
“Given that a lawsuit has been filed against the city, we cannot release certain information at this time because it is prohibited by law, it could compromise an ongoing investigation, and/or because certain facts have not been established with certainty,” Hall said. “We appreciate your understanding in this matter, as it is essential for us to uphold the integrity of the ongoing investigation.”
