News
Evan Bartlett
Dec 08, 2014
A US police officer who punched a handcuffed woman and fractured her eye socket will not face criminal charges.
Adley Shepherd had been trying to arrest 23-year-old Miyekko Durden-Bosley in June after allegations that she had threatened a family member - he punched her in the back of a police car after she had allegedly kicked him.
- Grainy video footage from his policeman's patrol car shows the incident
The decision not to charge Shepherd, an officer in Seattle, Washington state, comes at a time when police/community relations are particularly tense following the announcement two officers in other states, Daniel Pantaleo and Darren Wilson, will face no charges for the deaths of two unarmed black teenagers.
Evidence reviewed in the case shows that Officer Shepherd acted professionally and with restraint up to the point where he was kicked in the head by the suspect as she was being placed into the patrol car.
- King County prosecutors statement.
According to a police memo obtained by Reuters, Durden-Bosley had been "intoxicated and argumentative".
A video of the incident does not clearly show the woman's boot striking the officer and a local hospital said he did not suffer a significant injury.
However, another officer did report that Shepherd had complained of pain and appeared to be "dazed".
On deciding whether to charge the police officer, prosecutors in Washington state noted that Shepherd may have had no other options in his situation and they would not be able to determine if his use of force was criminal or not.
The Seattle Timeshas a picture of Ms Durden-Bosley shortly after she sustained the injury.
More: What you need to know about the Eric Garner chokehold case
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