A Sussex Police officer has admitted that a social media post she made hours after a 92-year-old wheelchair user was Tasered “doesn’t look good,” during a gross misconduct hearing at the force’s headquarters.
PC Rachel Comotto and PC Stephen Smith are currently facing disciplinary proceedings in Lewes following an incident at the Park Beck Care Home in St Leonards-on-Sea in June 2022. The hearing is examining allegations of breaches in professional standards, including use of force, authority, respect, and courtesy.
The panel heard that Donald Burgess, an amputee suffering from dementia and a urinary tract infection, was Tasered and PAVA-sprayed by the officers. Care home staff had called police because Mr Burgess was reportedly armed with a serrated cutlery knife and had threatened to stab people. The entire interaction between the police and the 92-year-old lasted less than 90 seconds before force was deployed.
During evidence, PC Comotto was questioned about a Facebook post she made shortly after the incident. The post included a lightning bolt emoji, which the officer admitted was a reference to the Taser. She apologised to the family of Mr Burgess, telling the panel that while she felt she was the “butt of the joke” among colleagues at the time, her response was “distasteful.”
Body-worn video played during the hearing also reportedly captured PC Comotto asking PC Smith if there was “any left” in his PAVA spray canister following the encounter. PC Smith, who deployed the Taser, told the panel he “wouldn’t have done anything differently” regarding his use of force, maintaining that his actions were necessary given the perceived threat.
According to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which investigated the matter, both officers were acquitted of criminal charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm at Southwark Crown Court in May 2025.
The hearing in Lewes continues to determine whether the officers’ conduct amounts to gross misconduct, which could lead to their dismissal from the force. Both officers have remained on restricted duties or suspended since the start of the investigations into the 2022 incident.
