PCs who used Taser and baton on amputee, 92, sacked

October 6, 2026 154news Acacia

PCs who used Taser and baton on 92-year-old amputee sacked

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PCs who used Taser and baton on amputee, 92, sacked

Image source: Family handout

Image caption: Donald Burgess, who had dementia, was pepper sprayed and Tasered in his wheelchair.

By Charlie Rose, South East home affairs correspondent

Published: 6 October 2026, 12:48 BST

Updated: 3 hours ago

Two police officers who pepper-sprayed and Tasered a 92-year-old amputee at a care home have been sacked for gross misconduct.

PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto, who were both acquitted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in May 2025, had been called to Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea after resident Donald Burgess threatened carers with a dinner knife.

Burgess, who had dementia, was hit with a baton, pepper sprayed and Tasered as he sat in his wheelchair in his bedroom in June 2022.

At Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes earlier, a disciplinary panel decided there had been "unjustified and excessive use of force" and dismissed both officers without notice.

Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident, where he contracted Covid and died 22 days later, but the officers were not held responsible for his death.

The misconduct panel found Comotto and Smith did not attempt to de-escalate the situation before using force and had breached standards of professional behaviour. Both have been placed on the College of Policing's barred list.

During a week-long hearing, force lawyer Aaron Rathmell told the panel Smith, 52, and Comotto, 37, "acted hastily, harshly and lost control".

He said Smith had drawn the pepper spray within nine seconds of entering Burgess's room.

Bodyworn camera footage showed Smith walking into the room and saying: "Do you want to be sprayed or Tasered? It's up to you. Can you put that down for us?"

Despite repeated requests, Burgess, who was a single leg amputee, did not drop the dinner knife.

The panel found Smith "made no attempt to assess or understand" Burgess' vulnerability, while Comotto "showed no compassion".

The following video contains distressing scenes.

[Video: Body-worn camera footage shows Burgess being asked to put down the knife]

The panel also said Smith's tone and language towards Burgess were "dismissive in nature", while Comotto was "antagonistic".

Comotto's statements - such as "last chance" or "seriously" - and giving Burgess limited time to respond, were found to be inappropriate.

The panel found her use of force to be unreasonable.

Comotto had previously told the hearing that other officers at Hastings police station "were laughing and joking at my expense for deploying a Taser in a care home". She also faced a separate allegation relating to comments posted following the incident.