Claims extracted
19
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
5%
1 of 19 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
68/100
BBC News's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Crime & Law
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
- Published
Two police officers who Tasered a 92-year-old amputee at a care home committed gross misconduct, a disciplinary panel has found.
asserted
panel → publish → 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 a hearing at Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes, a panel decided there was "unjustified and excessive use of force" and gross misconduct had been proven for both officers.
uncertain
misconduct → acquit → officers
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.
asserted
officers → take → 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.
asserted
Comotto → find → behaviour
It is yet to be decided whether they will be dismissed from the force or given a final written warning.
asserted
they → decide → warning
During a week-long hearing, force lawyer Aaron Rathmell told the panel Smith, 52, and Comotto, 37, "acted, hastily, harshly and lost control".
asserted
Smith → tell → control
He said Smith had drawn the pepper spray within nine seconds of entering Burgess's room.
asserted
Smith → say → room
Bodyworn camera footage showed Smith walking into the room and saying: "Do you want to be sprayed or Tasered?
asserted
you → show → room
Can you put that down for us?"
asserted
you → put → us
Despite repeated requests, Burgess, who was a single leg amputee, did not drop the dinner knife.
asserted
who → repeat → knife
The panel found Smith "made no attempt to assess or understand" Burgess's vulnerability, while Comotto "showed no compassion".
asserted
Comotto → find → compassion
The following video contains distressing scenes.
asserted
video → follow → scenes
Smith failed to consider leaving the 92-year-old in his room to calm down, the panel found, plus the use of Pava, a type of pepper spray, was deemed unreasonable in the circumstances.
asserted
use → fail → circumstances
There was "limited mitigation" for this behaviour, it said.
asserted
it → be → behaviour
The panel also said Smith's tone and language towards Burgess was "dismissive in nature", while Comotto was "antagonistic".
asserted
Comotto → say → nature
Comotto's statements such as "last chance" or 'seriously" and giving Burgess limited time to respond were found to be inappropriate.
asserted
statements → give → time
The panel found her use of force to be unreasonable.
asserted
use → find → force
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner said Burgess was in his own room, isolated from residents and posed no risk.
asserted
Burgess → say → risk
More information should have been ascertained from care home staff, he said.
asserted
he → ascertain → staff
The Aporia
