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Police officer plans to appeal firing in nurse arrest

Jeff Payne was fired after he arrested nurse Alex Wubbels, who refused to allow him to draw blood from a patient unconscious after a car crash

Associated Press

SALT LAKE CITY — 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.