A police officer has been sacked after he was filmed forcing his knee against a female suspect 's neck until she collapsed unconscious . James Medina was accused of using inappropriate force in a holding cell against the woman who had been arrested on charges of assaulting an officer . Footage shows Medina struggling with Seryina Trujillo for around a minute before he forces his knee on her throat , causing her to go limp and fall to the floor . Police administrators said Medina did n't seek medical attention for Trujillo , did n't seek the help of other officers to subdue her and did n't report the use of force . Manhandled : Denver police officer James Medina has been fired after being accused of using inappropriate force while restraining female suspect Seryina Trujillo in a holding cell which was caught on CCTV ( above ) Pinned down : During the scuffle , Medina puts his knee against Trujillo 's neck until she goes limp . Another officer told a supervisor about the incident four days after it happened , KCNC-TV in Denver reported . Medina , a 16-year veteran , has appealed the firing , said his attorney , Donald Sisson . Sisson said Medina 's actions were reasonable and that Trujillo had been scratching and biting the officer . Sisson said Medina did n't file a use of force report because he did n't think Trujillo was injured . The incident occurred July 10 . Trujillo had been arrested for allegedly kicking Medina in the face and spitting on another officer while police were taking her boyfriend into custody . Out cold : Trujillo collapses on the floor . Police administrators said Medina did n't seek medical attention for her , did n't seek the help of other officers to subdue her and did n't report the use of force . Trujillo gets to her feet after she appeared to be unconscious for several seconds . Medina had earlier asked her to surrender her shoes and belt inside the holding cell , but she had resisted , prompting the fracas . Trujillo sits back down as Medina gathers her belongings . Medina said he will appeal the decision to fire him . Medina asked Trujillo to surrender her shoes and belt inside the holding cell , but she resisted . In an ensuing struggle , Medina can be heard repeatedly telling her not to bite him . According to the department , Medina placed his right knee against Trujillo 's neck . When he got off , she went limp and appeared to lose consciousness for several seconds . 'Clearly his actions taken as a whole are not in line with the values of the police department , ' said Cmdr Matt Murray . 'We have repeatedly talked about the fact there is a culture of change within the Denver Police Department demanded by the community and this is a part of it . ' Sgt Glenn Mahr , a member of the department 's tactics review board , suggested after reviewing the tape that Medina used appropriate force because Trujillo displayed 'active aggression ' toward him . But Mahr faulted Medina for not seeking assistance from other officers . The use of police force has become a flashpoint topic since the shooting last August of black teenager Michael Brown by a white officer which sparked a wave of protests across America .
James Medina accused of using inappropriate force on CCTV . Presses his knee against her throat during scuffle until she goes limp . Medina did n't seek medical attention for suspect or report use of force . He has appealed sacking , saying Trujillo was scratching and biting him .