A Seattle police officer who punched a drunk woman in the face while she was handcuffed in the back of a patrol car will not face charges, prosecutors have revealed.

Dashcam footage from inside the vehicle shows Adley Shepherd hitting Miyekko Durden-Bosley, 23, after she kicked the officer in the head while under arrest.

The officer's blow fractured the woman's right eye, according to medical records.

But prosecutors said that Shepherd had 'acted professionally' and concluded they did not have enough evidence to prove his use of force wasn't necessary.

Scroll down for video

Blow: Dash-cam footage from inside the vehicle shows Adley Shepherd hitting Miyekko Durden-Bosley after she kicked the officer in the head while under arrest in Seattle

Injuries: The 23-year-old fractured her eye socket during the incident, but prosecutors have revealed the officer won't be charged because he was 'acting professionally'

The decision comes as unrest grows in New York and Missouri following the deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner by police hands.

On June 22, Officer Shepherd arrested an intoxicated Durden-Bosley while out on patrol.

She then protested, claiming she had not made any threats and had not been violent to her partner.

Frustrated, she is then heard saying 'f*** you bitch' during the footage before kicking the officer. The strike is not seen on camera.

Shepherd reacts by pushing her into the back of the patrol car and punching her in the eye.

After the kick, Shepherd is heard saying 'my jaw is jacked' but according to the Seattle Times, medical records showed there was no sign of injury.

A statement released on Friday by the King County Prosecutor's office said: Officer Shepherd reacted instantaneously to the kick by the suspect, who was wearing boots, with one punch to the suspect's head which caused a fracture of an orbital socket.

'While Officer Shepherd may have had other options or alternatives, we have concluded that we would be unable to prove that Officer Shepherd's use of force was criminal.'

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray told Q13 shortly after the incident in June that he found the punch disturbing.

Response: Shepherd reacted after the suspect allegedly kicked him in the head outside of the patrol car

He told the station: 'I'll go out on a ledge here and hopefully not get myself in trouble with unions or whatever. But, if someone is in handcuffs, if someone in handcuffs and seated in a car, that person should not be punched.

According to the Times, Shepherd's response was deemed 'inappropriate' and he had inflicted 'unnecessary injuries' on the woman by Robert Bragg Jr - who oversees use-of-force training for the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.

Shepherd had been placed on administrative leave for six months following the incident but the Seattle Police Officers' Guild President released a statement suggesting that may come to an end following the decision.

Detective Ron Smith said: 'The Seattle Police Officers Guild hopes that Officer Shepherd will be returned to full duty as soon as possible, and that SPD will review its Force Investigation Team procedures to review whether the system is working in the best interest of all involved.'

Protests have been going on for the past four days following the decisions not to indict Darren Wilson in the death of unarmed teen Michael Brown and Daniel Pantaleo in the 'chokehold' death of Eric Garner.

It is our opinion that had the suspect heeded the officers' commands, the resulting incident in question would not have occurred