Posted on 05/30/2025 8:03:33 PM PDT by simpson96
Sussex police officers PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto went on trial in London over the incident involving Donald Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user.
The officers were accused of using excessive force on Mr Burgess during a confrontation at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, on 21 June 2022. The pair had denied the charges.
A jury at Southwark Crown Court found 51-year-old Smith not guilty of two counts of assault for using Pava spray and a baton.
Comotto, 36, was found not guilty of one count of assault for deploying her Taser.
The care home had called emergency services after Mr Burgess reportedly threatened to stab staff with a knife he was given to cut his food.
Within less than a minute and a half of going into Mr Burgess's room, Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into the pensioner's face and used his baton to try and knock the knife out of his hand, while Comotto deployed her Taser.
The court heard both Smith and Comotto repeatedly asked Mr Burgess to drop the knife, with Smith warning him: "Put the knife down mate, or you will be sprayed or tasered. That's up to you."
Smith then discharged the spray directly into Mr Burgess's face, bodycam footage played to the jury showed.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.sky.com ...
Oh yeah, given the state of the decrepit, disabled old man in a wheelchair "wielding" this "deadly weapon", this was totally pepper spray and taser-worthy.
Believe that if you wish. Id have jyst tackled the old guy, but thats just me. I’ve seen many serious injuries caused by “decrepit “ old people.
something does not add up here
Bad decision, but not surprising.
That facility needs to review and revise it’s plan of action on what staff should do in such situations, before calling the police and expecting them to manage it for you.
Everyone involved is in need of retraining.
Its called plastic utensils. The care home could just adopt that policy for meal utensils.
Everything is illegal in the UK, except breathing, so any use of force is justified.
Oh yeah, that is one great looking pair of Sussex’s finest.
I hear they are really tough guys...
.
I’m not a martial arts expert but, if a 92 yr old one legged man in a wheel chair threatened me with a knife I’d just turn around and leave his room shutting the door behind me.
?????
He was in his own room. Just close the door and wait for his nap time to retrieve his dinner tray and eating utensils.
Remember that in the UK, the knife is the equivalent of a big scary automatic assault rifle
He was busier than a one-legged man in an @$$ kicking contest...
Not many years ago a tearful, crying teen with Autism and spinal bifida was arrested because she remarked a cop looked like her gay “nana”.
What is funny is the cop’s looks scream “BUTCH” and is probably the most stereotypical gay woman I’ve seen (on a Rosie O. Level).
They are woke thugs and UK is a dying state.
GUILTY and GUILTY.
Yeah! Kinda like how the Daleks could be foiled by just stairs!
Regards,
The problem though is that if he had dementia, which it looked like he did, he could hurt himself, and the facility would havr been held liable (although being in london, whi knows?)
Lol!
Exterminate stairs
Exterminate stairs
Exterminate stairs.😆
LOL I don’t know how many episodes with Daleks I’ve seen and that never occurred to me.
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