Overview

• Pc Rachel Comotto testified at Southwark Crown Court, stating she used her Taser to protect Donald Burgess from being struck again with a baton by her colleague, Pc Stephen Smith.
• The incident occurred within 83 seconds of the officers entering the care home room, where Mr. Burgess had reportedly threatened staff with a serrated knife.
• Prosecutors challenged Comotto’s actions, questioning why she did not attempt verbal de-escalation or instruct her colleague to stop before deploying the Taser.
• Body-worn camera footage presented in court showed Mr. Burgess lowering the knife after being pepper-sprayed, raising it again only as the baton was introduced.
• The case examines the proportionality of police force on a vulnerable, wheelchair-bound individual with dementia, highlighting broader concerns about de-escalation training and handling of disabled individuals in high-stakes situations.