Utah officer fired after nurse’s arrest caught on video

The Latest on a Utah police officer fired after he arrested a nurse:

6 p.m.

A lawyer for a Utah police officer fired after being caught on video arresting a nurse said he plans to appeal the decision he calls unfair.

Attorney Greg Skordas said Tuesday that Detective Jeff Payne would likely still be employed if body-camera footage hadn’t generated widespread attention online.

He says Payne would agree to be disciplined, but the decision to terminate him went beyond what’s fair.

Payne was fired after he arrested Alex Wubbels on July 26 after she refused to allow him to draw blood from a patient unconscious after a car crash.

Payne insisted, and the dispute ended with him dragging her outside as she screamed she had done nothing wrong.

Police later apologized and changed their policies.

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4:41 p.m.

Authorities say a Utah police officer who was caught on video roughly handcuffing a nurse because she refused to allow a blood draw has been fired.

A Salt Lake City Police spokesman said Chief Mike Brown made the decision Tuesday following an investigation into Detective Jeff Payne, who made the arrest that became a flashpoint in the ongoing national conversation about police use of force.

Body-camera video showed nurse Alex Wubbels explaining hospital policy required a warrant or formal consent to draw blood from the patient injured in a July 26 car crash. Payne had neither but insisted. The dispute ended with him dragging her outside as she screamed she had done nothing wrong.

Police later apologized and changed their policies.

Payne’s lawyer, Greg Skordas, has pointed to the officer’s decorated 27-year history and questioned whether his behavior warranted termination.