Report: Seattle cop 'caused unnecessary' injury to handcuffed woman he punched in face

SEATTLE -- A Seattle police officer who slugged a handcuffed female prisoner after she kicked out at him "caused unnecessary" injury to the suspect, who sustained multiple fractures to her face, a Washington State Patrol report showed Tuesday.

"Washington State Patrol detectives have completed their investigation into a June 22 incident in which a Seattle Police officer was accused of using excessive force," the State Patrol said in a news release accompanying the report.

"Detectives have forwarded their report to the King County Prosecutor’s Office. They made no recommendations on what, if any, charges should be filed. Any charging decision will be up to prosecutors. WSP’s role was merely to act as a fact-finder in this case."

According to the State Patrol report, a 911 call was made shortly after 2 a.m. on June 22 from a woman who reported that her son had received a phone call from a woman, later identified as Miyekko Durden-Bosley, who was coming over to apparently fight.

Seattle police officer Adley E. Shepherd responded and was at the residence when Durden-Bosley arrived. As a result of their interaction, Durden-Bosley was taken into custody and handcuffed. When she was being placed in the rear of Shepherd's patrol car, the woman kicked out at Shepherd, the report said.

"Off. Shepherd responded by punching Durden-Bosley once, which resulted in multiple fractures to the right side of her face," the State Patrol report said.

Two other Seattle police officers were there at the time of the incident.

While Shepherd was attempting to place the handcuffed woman in the back of his patrol car, Durden-Bosley exclaimed, "You f------ bitch," then kicked out at Shepherd, the report said.

Despite enhancement of a vehicle video, it was unclear if her kick contacted with Shepherd's face, the report said.

But Shepherd stated, "She kicked me" and then entered the patrol vehicle and punched the woman once in the face with his right hand, the report said.

Medical records showed later that she suffered facial fractures, while the medical records of Shepherd "did not reveal any obvious injury," the report said.

At the request of the State Patrol, Robert Bragg Jr., fitness and force training program manager for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission, was asked to evaluate the actions of Shepherd, the report said.

Bragg arrived at the following opinion: "Officer Shepherd's demeanor and handling of the situation immediately up the assault by Ms. Miyekko Durden-Bosley were calm and respectful and appeared to follow the LEED model set forth in SPD dictum. However, following the assault he acted in a way inconsistent with the training and policy by not using the time and resources available to him. As a result, he unnecessarily placed himself in greater danger and caused unnecessary and foreseeable injury to the handcuffed suspect."

In late June, new Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O'Toole announced Shepherd was relieved of his duties and placed on paid administrative leave for a use-of-force incident involving a handcuffed female prisoner.

"In keeping with department policy, the involved officer has been placed on paid administrative leave while the investigation proceeds. I have also ensured the department has fully briefed U.S. Attorney Jenny Durkan and the FBI on the incident and have requested the Washington State Patrol provide investigators to assist SPD," she wrote then.