Police officer fired after arresting nurse who refused to take blood from unconscious patient

A police officer who arrested a nurse when she refused to take blood from an unconscious patient has been fired.

Bodycam footage of Detective Jeff Payne forcibly removing nurse Alex Wubbels from a hospital sparked outrage after going viral.

The clip, released by Ms Wubbels and her lawyers, resulted in the Utah police detective being suspended after the July 26 incident. But a Salt Lake City Police spokesman said he had now been sacked.

Mr Payne's lawyer Greg Skordas said he planned to appeal the decision.

He said his client would agree to being punished, but that termination of his job was "going too far".

Ms Wubbels was seen shouting "stop, I haven't done anything wrong" in the video as Mr Payne forced her out of the hospital.

He put handcuffs on her and made her sit in a hot police car for 20 minutes before she was released without charge.

The nurse had refused to take a blood test from a patient who was unconscious after being in a car accident.

A 2016 US Supreme Court ruling says a blood sample cannot be taken without patient consent or a warrant.

Salt Lake City Police have since apologised for how Ms Wubbels was treated.

"The only job I have as a nurse is to keep my patients safe. I am just trying to do what I am supposed to do.

"This cop bullied me to the utmost extreme and nobody stood in his way," Ms Wubbels said in an interview after the incident.

Gordon Crabtree, CEO of University of Utah Hospital where Ms Wubbels works, said hospital security should have intervened.

"To our nurses and staff - this will not happen again," he said.