Hercules mayor finds Taser use on 21-year-old 'troubling and difficult to watch'

HERCULES, Calif. - The mayor of Hercules on Tuesday said publicly that he found the actions of officers using a stun gun to tase a 21-year-old man suffering an epileptic seizure, shown on body camera video obtained by KTVU, "difficult and troubling to watch." 

Mayor Dion Bailey said he first learned of this video last Friday, when KTVU and the Chronicle first reported the story and showed the images.

Bailey said he initially refrained from immediate comment, because he wanted to "obtain the facts." 

He also said he couldn't speak on the issue because of the city's policy on pending litigation.

Hercules Mayor Dion Bailey. Feb. 11, 2025 

That litigation was filed in U.S. District Court by Jack Bruce, now 22, who suffered his first epileptic seizure in April 2024 while driving home from his grandmother's house. 

He ended up rolling his car down an embankment. Witnesses came to help and told police they felt the young man was having a seizure. 

The video shows officers telling him to get out of the car, and when he didn't comply because he was still in a daze from the seizure, shocked him three times and swore at him.

Bailey added that he has asked the city manager to hold a town hall meeting at some point to allow for community members to "discuss the Taser event" and the use of force policies in Hercules.

While Bailey didn't say much more, residents chimed in.

Tanya Little called what happened "very unsettling" and called for a "swift and thorough investigation."

Sarah Creeley said that what happened to "Mr. Bruce feels very shocking and not what I expect from our local police department." 

Susan Keeffe said it's lucky that Bruce didn't die. 

"I'm appalled by what I saw," she said. "The training is obviously inadequate. The stupidity is unbelievable." 

Hercules police did not respond to KTVU's request for comment last week, but after the story ran, Chief Joseph Vasquez issued two sentences that said the city does not comment on pending litigation and takes "any allegation of excessive use of force seriously."

Bruce told KTVU that he had filed a use-of-force complaint with the police department before he filed his lawsuit, and it was ignored, as he was told the officers' actions fell within policy. 

Jack Bruce's father, John Bruce, attended the city council meeting, but told KTVU he didn't feel it would be productive if he said anything at this early stage. 

He said he may speak at the town hall meeting.