A police officer in the United States has been fired following a troubling incident captured on video, showing him punching a woman who was already handcuffed.

On May 20th, around 8:30 PM, officers in Loveland, Colorado, responded to a report of a woman wandering in and out of traffic near North Garfield Avenue and East 29th Street.

Upon realizing that the woman was speaking incoherently, the officers took her into protective custody and transported her to the Medical Center of the Rockies.

However, what occurred at the hospital was completely unexpected. As the handcuffed woman was being escorted to the examination area, an incident unfolded.

During her time at the hospital, the woman exhibited verbally abusive behavior towards healthcare workers and went as far as spitting at a nurse and police officers.

The Loveland police acknowledged that 'the officer responded with inappropriate use of force by striking the female in the face, causing minor injuries to her face.'

Following the incident, another officer swiftly stepped in and separated the officer who punched the woman from her.

The woman involved has been identified as 59-year-old Angelia Hall, while the officer responsible was later revealed to be 28-year-old Russell Maranto.

In order to prevent her from spitting, a plastic bag was placed over Hall's head while she insisted on seeing the footage of the attack. She emphasized that she was handcuffed and unable to defend herself.

Immediately after the incident, Maranto was put on administrative leave and was subsequently terminated from his position by the City of Loveland.

Loveland Police Chief Tom Doran issued a statement on Friday, June 9th, confirming that the officer had been fired due to unnecessary use of force.

"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," he said.

The local police department has recently made available 90 minutes of bodycam footage from that particular day. The police chief has urged the public to watch the entire footage in order to obtain a complete understanding of the incident.

Just three days after the incident, Maranto was terminated from his position as a police officer. The police department took prompt action in response to the situation.

"I don't believe it took very long for us to come to the conclusion that this officer should be terminated. That was a fairly swift decision," Doran said.

The police chief also commended officer Nick Hobbs for his intervention in restraining Maranto and preventing the situation from escalating further.

"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," Doran said.

Regarding Hall, she has been formally charged with third-degree assault.