A police officer has been sacked after a disturbing video shows him punching a handcuffed woman after she spat at him.
Colorado police officer Russell Maranto, 28, was caught punching Angelia Hall, 59, in the mouth while she was sitting waiting in a hospital emergency room on May, 20.
Ms Hall, who is seen in an examination chair, but can be heard getting frustrated and angry as she launches expletives at the officers and nurses in the room.
However, in the 90-minute bodycam, footage captures the moment Mr Maranto punches the woman after he was spat at in the face.
Another officer quickly intervenes and pulls him away from Ms Hall - with a protective bag placed on her head to prevent her from spitting.
After the punch, the woman demands to see the footage of the attack after she was left furious that she was handcuffed and unable to defend herself.
Loveland Police Chief Tom Doran confirmed in a statement on Friday the officer was fired for unnecessary use of force.
He said: "I am sharing this video in the spirit of transparency and on the promise to hold both my team and the citizens who break the law accountable for their actions."
Mr Doran recommended the public watch the complete 90-minute bodycam footage of the incident, claiming it was important to view it in its entirety.
Larimer County Sheriff's Office confirmed the incident was investigated but, at this moment, the district attorney's officer has not filed criminal charges against Mr Maranto.
The incident, he claims, was swiftly dealt with by police after he was fired from his job just three days after the assault.
“I don’t believe it took very long for us to come to the conclusion that this officer should be terminated,” Mr Dolan said. “That was a fairly swift decision.”
Police had been called to Ms Hall amid reports of her wandering in and out of traffic, displaying incoherent behaviour.
She was placed under protective custody and taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.
Ms Hall has since been charged with third-degree assault for her actions towards the axed officer.
The police chief praised officer Nick Hobbs for pulling back Mr Maranto and stopping the incident from escalating.
Mr Doran said: “It is not easy to do, and he made it appear like it was instinct. He was in so quickly, so appropriately, he did everything that was right.
"This is truly a training video on what to do in this sort of situation. Nick Hobbs should be applauded for that.”
Mr Maranto was hired by the LPD June 6, 2022 and had previously worked with the Montrose Police Department and the Wyoming Department of Corrections, according to a police statement.
