Officer Russell Maranto allegedly punching Angelia Hall (Loveland Police screenshot)
Law enforcement authorities in Colorado have released police body camera footage showing an officer punching a woman whose hands were cuffed behind her back after she spits on him in a hospital examination room last month.
The video, which was released by the Loveland Police Department, shows 59-year-old Angelia Hall letting out a stream of profanity-laced invective at the now-fired 28-year-old Officer Russell Maranto before she is shown spitting at him, resulting in the officer throwing a quick right-handed jab to her face before other officers intervene.
According to press releases from the department, LPD officers at around 8:30 p.m. on May 20 responded to a report regarding an adult female who was reportedly seen “wandering in and out of traffic and speaking incoherently” in the area around North Garfield Avenue and East 29th Street in Loveland, Colorado, which is about 50 miles north of Denver.
Upon arriving at the scene, first responders made contact with the woman — later identified as Hall — placing her in protective custody and transporting her to The Medical Center of the Rockies for further evaluation.
“Once at the hospital, the handcuffed female was escorted to an examination room where she was verbally abusive toward healthcare professionals and spat at a nurse and on one of the officers,” the release states. “The officer responded with an inappropriate use of force by striking the female in the face causing minor injuries to her face. The offending officer’s partner immediately intervened, removed him from the room and radioed for a supervisor to respond to the scene.”
The video shows a handcuffed Hall sitting in a chair in the examination room and cursing at hospital staff when Officer Maranto walks over and grabs a piece of paper from her hand. Hall appears to become even angrier, getting up from the chair and stepping towards him, saying, “Hey, f—ing give it back to me you f—ing piece of s—.” She continues to curse at police and medical staff for a little more than a minute before escalating the situation and spitting on Officer Maranto.
“See what he does. See what he does — f—ing hits me. I want video of that. I want f—ing video of that a–wipe,” she screams. “He f—ing punched me in the face! I didn’t touch him. My hands are handcuffed!”
“I can’t even fight back,” Hall added.
Officer Maranto was immediately placed on administrative leave following the incident. After being medically cleared, Hall was transported to the Larimer County Jail. She was subsequently charged with one count of third-degree assault, a Class 1 misdemeanor.
“The officers were verbally harassed by excessive profanity, periodic racial slurs and exhibited prolonged professionalism and patience,” Loveland Police Chief Tim Doran said in a statement accompanying the body camera footage. “Our police department is filled with brave, respectful, and honorable public servants, and we all agree inappropriate conduct will never be tolerated or downplayed by your department.”
Chief Doran said that Maranto was suspended without pay following the incident and fired several days later. Maranto joined LPD in June 2022 after previously working for the Montrose Police Department and the Wyoming Department of Corrections.
The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office has yet to make a decision as to whether Maranto will face criminal charges, police said.
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