Amputee, 92, maced, tasered after waving knife at UK cops in nursing home, dies 3 weeks later
A 92-year-old amputee man who was armed with a knife in a UK residential care home was maced and tasered by police — then died of COVID-19 after being treated for his injuries, according to reports.Donald Burgess, who had his right leg amputated beneath the knee and relied on a wheelchair, lived in the Park Beck Residential Care Home in East Sussex and had a near-fatal encounter with police when they arrived following a call that he had allegedly tried to stab a worker at the facility, The Sun reported.Police Constables Stephen Smith and Rachel Comotto responded to the June 21, 2022, “grade one call,” the highest level of emergency, and body camera footage captured the short but violent encounter.In the footage, the cops enter the room and plead with Burgess — who is seemingly unaware of the confrontation — to drop the knife, which was similar to a butter knife, the BBC reported.“You gonna put it on the ground for me,” Smith said.“Just chuck it on the ground for us,” Commoto pleaded, before adding, “We don’t want to hurt you.”“Pop it down for me,” Smith continued.
“Come, on Donald, put it down.We can solve this without having to resort to this.” The confrontation then spins out of control as Smith heads toward Burgess, who waves his blade at him. Smith responded by spraying Burgess with nearly a full can of mace, dousing him in the face and his mouth. Commoto shouts: “Do it now! Drop the knife!”Smith then pulls out his baton and strikes Burgess.
“Put it down,” he yelled at the old man, the footage showed. But he refuses to drop the knife.
Commoto finally tasers Burgess, who lets out a loud moan as his body seizes up and the blade drops to the floor.The nonagenarian was taken to the hospital, where he was treated for his injuries before dying of COVID three weeks later.Smith and Comotto are on trial facing assault charges for attacking Burgess.Both constables pleaded not guilty to the charges.Prosecutor Paul Jarvis KC ...