Woman punched in face, injured by Seattle cop while handcuffed files $1 million claim against city

SEATTLE -- A woman who was slugged by a Seattle police officer while she was handcuffed in the back of a patrol car and who suffered facial fractures last June has filed a $1 million claim for damages against the city of Seattle, it was disclosed Thursday.

The woman, Miyekko Durden Bosley, was handcuffed and taken into custody on June 22, 2014, after a 911 call that she was coming over to a man's house to fight with him. Police met her at the house.

When she was being placed, handcuffed, in the rear of police officer Adley E. Shepherd's patrol car, the woman kicked out at Shepherd, an investigative report by the Washington State Patrol said later.

"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.

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

Here is the RAW video of the incident:



On Jan. 27, Durden Bosley's lawyers filed the $1 million claim against the city.

"Ms. Durden Bosley was arrested without probably cause and then, while she was handcuffed in the back of his police car, Officer Adley Sheppard assaulted her by punching her in the face," the claim states. "Ms. Durden Bosley suffered a fractured orbital and a severe concussion as a result of the assault. She was then transferred to the King County Jail, where spent several days wrongly incarcerated and suffering the effects of her injuries caused by Officer Sheppard before being released without the filing of any charges."

The Seattle Police Department had no comment.

In December 2014, the King County Prosecutor's Office said they would not be filing charges against the police officer.

The prosecutor said the evidence in the case showed that  Shepherd "acted professionally and with restraint" up until he was kicked in the head.

“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,” said the prosecutor.

In the written statement the Prosecutor’s Office said its attorneys would not have been able to prove, beyond a reasonable doubt that this level of force was necessary.

“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.”

>>> Click here to read a previous Q13 FOX News report on this case, including more on the Washington State Patrol's investigative report into the incident

>>> Click here to read the previous Q13 FOX News report on the prosecutor's decision not to charge the police officer