From GB News*.
“Police officers who pepper-sprayed and tasered a 92-year-old disabled pensioner over a butter knife may have contributed to his death, an inquest has been told.
On June 21, 2022, police raced to Park Beck Residential Care Home in East Sussex after Donald Burgess, an amputee and dementia patient, flicked his food at a healthcare worker and refused to put down the dull blade.
PC Stephen Smith, 51, and PC Rachel Comotto, 34, had “shouted” at the pensioner, before the situation escalated and the pair began “screaming” at the elderly man, the inquest heard.
He was then struck in the arm by PC Smith with a baton, before the officer unleashed an entire can of pepper into Mr Burgess’s face.
PC Comotto then fired her taser into the 92-year-old’s chest, with the pensioner heard saying “I’m dying” as he was left in agony. He was then cuffed and taken out of the care home, before being hauled into a police station by the officers. Shortly after arriving at the police station, Mr Burgess was rushed to hospital after his condition took a turn for the worse.
The pensioner was treated for a urinary tract infection before medical professionals deemed him fit enough to be discharged.
However, Park Beck Residential Care Home refused to let him return and he was left stuck in the hospital while a place in another care home was found.
The 92-year-old subsequently contracted Covid at Conquest Hospital in Hastings, and he died shortly afterwards following a cardiac arrest. Mr Burgess had been battling a number of illnesses at the time of his death, including diabetes and carotid artery disease. Jesse Nicholls, a lawyer representing the pensioner’s family, told the inquest: “This is a case where an elderly and vulnerable man was subjected to considerable force by the police officers and would not have been in hospital if that force had not been used.” “
What vile and violent police officers Sussex police are employing. I bet they’d never think of using such inappropriate levels of violence on a real villain or a migrant or some ranting thug on the street but they think it’s OK to do that to a pensioner.
What is even worse than the violent incident itself is that the officers involved have walked from court un-convicted and unpunished. There was no gaol time for them and they were probably allowed to resign from the police and keep their pensions, that’s if they are not still involved in policing. We are really not hating our public ‘servants’ especially ones like these enough.
Link
* hat tip JonMC over at Harry’s Place
https://hurryupharry.net/2026/08/31/september-hangout-2/
GB News article
https://www.gbnews.com/news/sussex-police-pepper-sprayed-pensioner-knife-contributed-death
NB this is the same force that has gone after women’s rights campaigner Kelly Jay Keen at the instigation of Trans Rights activists
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