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

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 on Tuesday, 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 were also 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's vulnerability, while Comotto "showed no compassion".