Police Misconduct

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Channels reported that two police officers faced disciplinary action over their use of force on a 92-year-old man at a care home in East Sussex in 2022. The man, Donald Burgess, was a wheelchair user, an amputee, and had dementia. He was holding a dinner knife when officers PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel, whose surname was spelled variously as Comodo, Komoto, or Comotto, arrived. Body-worn camera footage showed the officers using pepper spray, a baton, and a taser within a short period. BBC ONE West and 5 reported that the officers were sacked for gross misconduct after a panel found their use of force unjustified and excessive. ITV1 reported that gross misconduct was upheld and that the panel had retired to decide sanctions, with dismissal possible. The officers had previously been acquitted of assault in a criminal trial, according to 5 and ITV1. Mr Burgess was taken to hospital and died less than a month later after contracting Covid; the officers were not held responsible for his death, BBC ONE West and 5 reported. ITV1 additionally reported that a misconduct claim against PC Comotto over a Facebook post joking about the incident was upheld. The family of Mr Burgess told 5 they were disgusted and hoped it was a lesson to others. BBC ONE West reported the family said he was much loved and a family man they wanted remembered for the life he lived.

Key Claims by Channel

Thursday 23 July 2026

Claim
Reported by all 2 channels
Alan Greer, a Police Scotland officer, died by suicide on 6 May 2026.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Greer was a serial rapist who committed sexual assaults and attempted murders over at least 14 years, with evidence of eight crimes or at least nine victims.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Greer was arrested on 24 April 2026 after his home was raided and devices seized.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Comparisons were drawn to the Wayne Couzens case.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Greer joined the police in 2009 and had 17 years of service.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Greer's family and colleagues were unaware of his violent double life.	Reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Only on one channel
His first known victim was a vulnerable woman in Glasgow in 2012, whom he raped after attending her home as a uniformed officer.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
The victim reported the attack in late 2025, sparking a major anti-corruption inquiry.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
His phone revealed he had used hundreds of prostitutes and violently assaulted or attempted to murder some of them.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Police Scotland stated there were no missed opportunities to stop Greer earlier, but they will keep the matter under review.	Not reported by Channel 5	Reported by BBC One
Police Scotland declined a one-to-one interview with Channel 5 News and instead issued a statement.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC One

Tuesday 6 October 2026

Claim
Widely reported · 4 or more of 5 channels
Two Sussex Police officers had gross misconduct allegations upheld, with a disciplinary hearing finding their use of force excessive and in breach of professional standards.
The resident was Donald Burgess, a 92-year-old amputee in a wheelchair who had dementia.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Reported by BBC One		Reported by ITV
Mr Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident and died weeks later after contracting Covid, and the officers were not held responsible for his death.				Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
Reported by a few · 2–3 channels
The incident occurred in June 2022 at a care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, where officers were called after reports a resident was holding a knife and threatening staff.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
The officers were PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel, whose surname was reported with variations.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
Body-worn camera footage showed the officers using pepper spray, a baton, and a taser on Mr Burgess within a short time of arriving.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News		Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
The panel found that Mr Burgess posed no risk and that the officers made no attempt to assess his vulnerability or de-escalate the situation.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One
The officers had previously been acquitted of assault in a criminal trial.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
The panel found the officers harmed public confidence in the police.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
The panel found the officers lacked compassion and professionalism.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
Only on one channel
A misconduct claim against PC Comotto was upheld regarding a Facebook post that joked about the incident.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4
The family of Mr Burgess said they were disgusted by the officers' behaviour and hoped it would be a lesson to others.	Reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
The family of Donald Burgess said he was much loved and a family man they wanted remembered for the life he lived.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News		Not reported by Channel 4	Not reported by ITV
The disciplinary panel said the proven claims were so serious that dismissal could be justified.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV
The police watchdog assessed that the fast-paced incident posed no immediate danger.	Not reported by Channel 5	Not reported by BBC News	Not reported by BBC One	Not reported by Channel 4	Reported by ITV

This is a cross-channel consensus summary, not an objective account. Consensus can be uniformly wrong, or omit what only one channel covered.