Image source, Family handout
Donald Burgess, who had dementia, was Pava sprayed and Tasered successful his wheelchair
Published
6 October 2026, 12:48 BST
Updated 16 minutes ago
Two constabulary officers who Tasered a 92-year-old amputee astatine a attraction location committed gross misconduct, a disciplinary sheet has found.
PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto, who were some acquitted of battle occasioning existent bodily harm successful May 2025, had been called to Park Beck attraction location successful St Leonards-on-Sea aft nonmigratory Donald Burgess threatened carers with a meal knife.
Burgess, who had dementia, was deed with a baton, capsicum sprayed and Tasered arsenic helium sat successful his wheelchair successful his chamber successful June 2022.
At a proceeding astatine Sussex Police office successful Lewes, a sheet decided determination was "unjustified and excessive usage of force" and gross misconduct had been proven for some officers.
Burgess was taken to infirmary aft the incident, wherever helium contracted Covid and died 22 days later, but the officers were not held liable for his death.
The misconduct sheet recovered Comotto and Smith did not effort to de-escalate the concern earlier utilizing unit and had breached standards of nonrecreational behaviour.
It is yet to beryllium decided whether they volition beryllium dismissed from the unit oregon fixed a last written warning.
Image source, PA Media
The officers volition find retired aboriginal if they volition beryllium sacked from the force
During a week-long hearing, unit lawyer Aaron Rathmell told the sheet Smith, 52, and Comotto, 37, "acted, hastily, harshly and mislaid control".
He said Smith had drawn the capsicum spray wrong 9 seconds of entering Burgess's room.
Bodyworn camera footage showed Smith walking into the country and saying: "Do you privation to beryllium sprayed oregon Tasered? It's up to you. Can you enactment that down for us?"
Despite repeated requests, Burgess, who was a azygous limb amputee, did not driblet the meal knife.
The sheet recovered Smith "made nary effort to measure oregon understand" Burgess's vulnerability, portion Comotto "showed nary compassion".
The pursuing video contains distressing scenes.
Body-worn camera footage shows Burgess being asked to enactment down the knife
Smith failed to see leaving the 92-year-old successful his country to calm down, the sheet found, positive the usage of Pava, a benignant of capsicum spray, was deemed unreasonable successful the circumstances.
There was "limited mitigation" for this behaviour, it said.
The sheet besides said Smith's code and connection towards Burgess was "dismissive successful nature", portion Comotto was "antagonistic".
Comotto's statements specified arsenic "last chance" oregon 'seriously" and giving Burgess constricted clip to respond were recovered to beryllium inappropriate.
The sheet recovered her usage of unit to beryllium unreasonable.
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner said Burgess was successful his ain room, isolated from residents and posed nary risk.
More accusation should person been ascertained from attraction location staff, helium said.
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