Two Sussex Police officers, PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto, are facing a disciplinary hearing regarding their 2022 encounter with Donald Burgess, a 92-year-old man in a wheelchair. the hearing examines allegations of excessive force used at the Park Beck Care Home in St Leonards-on-Sea after Mr. Burgess was found holding a small knife.
A minute of force at Park Beck Care Home
Sussex Police officers PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto are accused of using excessive force during a June 2022 incident at the Park Beck Care Home. According to the report, the encounter escalated within a single minute of the officers entering the room, leaving little time for tactical de-escalation.
The use of force during the incident involved pepper spray, a police baton, and a Taser. As the report states, PC Smith allegedly used PAVA spray on the face of Donald Burgess before striking his arm with a baton. Shortly after, PC Comotto discharged a Taser into the chest of the man, who was seated in his wheelchair.
Lawyer Aaron Rathmell, representing Sussex Police, characterized the officers' actions as hasty and uncontrolled. He argued that the officers failed to speak with care home staff to understand Mr. Burgess's condition and that the force used was neither necessary nor proportionate to the situation.
The fatal decline of Donald Burgess
Donald Burgess, the 92-year-old man involved in the incident, was a one-legged widower living with dementia. The report notes that when officers arrived at the care home, they found Mr. burgess in his room holding a small dinner knife, but he was being monitored by two staff members at the time.
The physical toll of the encounter was followed by a rapid medical decline. After being handcuffed and taken to a police station, Mr. Burgess's condition deteriorated , leading to a hospital transfer. He died three weeks later after contracting Covid and suffering a cardiac arrest.
PC Comotto’s "lightning emoji" and Facebook comments
PC Rachel Comotto faces additional scrutiny for her conduct on social media following the incident. The report details how she interacted with a colleague on Facebook, replying to a post about the care home with a comment suggesting "we all know what happens in care homes," accompanied by a lightning emoji.
Professionalism is a central theme in the allegations against PC Comotto. Lawyer Aaron Rathmell described her social media response as inappropriate, suggesting she was making light of the Taser deployment used against the elderly pensioner.
The possibility of dismissal for Smith and Comotto
Both PC Smith and PC Comotto face the potential of being sacked from the police force if the allegations are proven. the disciplinary panel is currently reviewing whether the officers' failure to treat a vulnerable individual with compassion warrants their immediate removal from duty.
While the lawyer for Sussex Police has provided a scathing critique of the officers' conduct, the hearing is still ongoing. It remains to be seen how the officers will defend their decision to use force so quickly, and the current report primarily features the perspective of the prosecution, leaving the specific defenses of the officers largely unaddressed.
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