Two Sussex Police officers have been sacked for gross misconduct after using a Taser, PAVA spray and a baton on a 92-year-old amputee at a care home. PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto were dismissed without notice following the incident involving Donald Burgess.
Incident at St Leonards-on-Sea care home
The officers were called to a care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, on June 21, 2022, after reports that a resident had a knife and was threatening to stab staff. Body-worn footage showed Mr Burgess, who used a wheelchair and had an amputated leg, had been isolated in a room and was holding a cutlery knife.
PC Smith immediately told him to put the knife down or he would be “sprayed or Tasered”. The officers then used a Taser, PAVA spray and a baton on Mr Burgess, with the force later described as “excessive”.
Dismissal for gross misconduct
Both officers were dismissed without notice for gross misconduct. The decision follows a disciplinary process into their actions during the incident.
