Seattle police officer who broke handcuffed woman's eye socket with punch not charged

A Seattle police officer who punched a handcuffed woman in the face while placing her in the back of his cruiser will not face charges, reports KIRO.

Officer Adley Shepherd has been on administrative leave after video taken in his cruiser showed him punching the woman, 23-year-old Miyekko Durden-Bosley, breaking a bone in her face as he arrested her after responding to a domestic abuse call.

Prosecutors reviewed the video of the June 22 incident where Shepherd can be seen attempting to place the handcuffed Durden-Bosley in his cruiser.

Durden-Bosley can be heard calling the officer a "f*cking b*tch" before lashing out with one boot, reportedly kicking the officer in the chin. Shepherd is then heard saying "She kicked me," before pulling the woman towards him and punching her once in the face before dropping her back down.

Later in  the video, Shepherd sits on the seat saying, "My jaw's jacked."

In a previous interview Durden-Bosley admitted she had kicked the officer, claiming it was an accident.

Following the altercation Durden-Bosley was transported to a hospital where doctors reported she suffered a fracture of an orbital socket. After being transported to jail, Durden-Bosley was released four days later with charges of resisting arrest dropped.

Following an investigation, Prosecutor Dan Satterberg released a statement reading, “Evidence reviewed in the case shows that Officer [Adley] 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."

“Officer Shepherd reacted instantaneously to the kick by the suspect, who was wearing boots, with one punch to the suspect's head which caused a fracture of an orbital socket,” the statement continued. “While Officer Shepherd may have had other options or alternatives, we have concluded that we would be unable to prove that Officer Shepherd's use of force was criminal."

Durden-Bosely's attorney, Mike Wampold, said his client was disappointed, adding, "We are currently exploring alternative avenues to attempt to secure justice for Ms. Bosley for this brutal assault."

Before returning to duty, Shepherd's case will  be investigated by the Seattle Police Office of Professional Accountability, which typically waits until after a charging decision or case to begin their investigation.

Watch video below from KIRO: