A California man has filed a lawsuit claiming police officers falsely arrested him and used excessive force after he crashed his car into a 20-foot ditch while experiencing a seizure. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Northern District of California, states that Jack Bruce had just visited his grandmother and was driving home when he suffered his first-ever seizure. His car veered off the road and into the embankment. Two other drivers who witnessed the incident came to his aid, called 911, and informed dispatchers that he was having a medical episode.
When emergency responders arrived, Bruce appeared barely conscious and unable to coherently answer questions. Initially, one officer acknowledged his medical condition, instructing others to let him be. However, the approach quickly changed as officers began to physically engage with him. The lawsuit states that despite their training, which emphasizes avoiding restraint of seizure victims due to instinctive reactions to physical contact, the officers repeatedly shook and prodded him, demanding he exit the vehicle.
Body camera footage shows officers issuing aggressive commands, including, “Get out of the car,” “We wanna help you, but do not fing fight,” and “You will get fing ripped out of this car.” Appearing confused, Bruce was forcibly pulled from the car. One officer grabbed his hair while another pulled at his arms, and he was then tased multiple times while on the ground. Bruce, in visible pain, was then carried to a gurney and taken to the hospital with injuries including a lacerated lip, cuts, bruises, and a bloodied shirt.
The officers suggested Bruce was under the influence, with one stating he “must be high on something” and another agreeing but unsure of what. Despite this assumption, no drugs or alcohol were found in his car, and prosecutors later dropped the resisting arrest charge against him. The lawsuit argues that the officers had no probable cause to believe Bruce was intoxicated or had committed any crime, especially given that witnesses had informed dispatchers he was having a seizure.
The legal action claims the officers violated Bruce’s Fourth and Fourteenth Amendment rights through unlawful arrest and excessive force. His attorneys highlight that police training explicitly instructs officers not to perceive a seizure victim’s agitation as resistance or hostility. Despite this, Bruce was physically removed from his car, tased, and arrested.
The police department issued a statement affirming its commitment to addressing excessive force allegations but declined to comment on the lawsuit. Meanwhile, Bruce continues to experience seizures following the incident.
