由查理·罗斯报道一支纪律审查小组裁定，一对警官在护养院对一名92岁的残疾老人使用电击器（Taser）的行为构成严重失职。
Two police officers who Tasered a 92-year-old amputee at a care home committed gross misconduct, a disciplinary panel has found.
史蒂芬·史密斯警官（PC Stephen Smith）和雷切尔·康托特警官（PC Rachel Comotto）此前因涉嫌造成实际身体伤害罪在2025年5月被无罪释放。他们当时被派往圣莱昂纳德-塞海的帕克贝克护养院，因为居民唐纳德·伯格斯（Donald Burg）用餐刀威胁护工。
PC Stephen Smith and PC Rachel Comotto, who were both acquitted of assault occasioning actual bodily harm in May 2025, had been called to Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea after resident Donald Burgess threatened carers with a dinner knife.
伯格斯患有痴呆症，在2022年6月被殴打、喷射胡椒喷雾并电击时，他正坐在轮椅上躺在自己的卧室里。
Burgess, who had dementia, was hit with a baton, pepper sprayed and Tasered as he sat in his wheelchair in his bedroom in June 2022.
在苏塞克斯警察总部位于刘斯的一次听讯中，一个小组决定存在“不合理和过度使用武力”，并裁定两名警官均构成严重失职。
At a hearing at Sussex Police headquarters in Lewes, a panel decided there was "unjustified and excessive use of force" and gross misconduct had been proven for both officers.
伯格斯在事发后被送往医院，在那里他感染了新冠病毒，并在22天后去世，但警官们并未被追究其死亡责任。
Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident, where he contracted Covid and died 22 days later, but the officers were not held responsible for his death.
失职审查小组发现，康托特和史密斯在使用武力之前并未尝试缓解局势，并且违反了职业行为标准。目前尚未决定他们是否会被开除或仅受到最终书面警告。
The misconduct panel found Comotto and Smith did not attempt to de-escalate the situation before using force and had breached standards of professional behaviour. It is yet to be decided whether they will be dismissed from the force or given a final written warning.
在为期一周的听审过程中，警队律师亚伦·拉瑟塞尔告诉小组，52岁的史密斯和37岁的康托特“行动匆忙，态度严厉，失去了控制”。
During a week-long hearing, force lawyer Aaron Rathmell told the panel Smith, 52, and Comotto, 37, "acted, hastily, harshly and lost control".
他表示，史密斯在进入伯格斯的房间后仅用了9秒就拔出了胡椒喷雾。
He said Smith had drawn the pepper spray within nine seconds of entering Burgess's room.
穿戴身上的摄像机 footage 显示，史密斯进入房间后说：“你想被喷雾还是被电击？由你决定。你可以把刀放下吗？”尽管多次请求，伯格斯——一位单腿截肢者——并未放下餐刀。
Bodyworn camera footage showed Smith walking into the room and saying: "Do you want to be sprayed or Tasered? It's up to you. Can you put that down for us?" Despite repeated requests, Burgess, who was a single leg amputee, did not drop the dinner knife.
小组认为史密斯“从未尝试评估或理解”伯格斯的脆弱状况，而康托特则“毫无怜悯之心”。
The panel found Smith "made no attempt to assess or understand" Burgess's vulnerability, while Comotto "showed no compassion".
小组还发现，史密斯未能考虑让这名92岁的老人留在房间内冷静下来，并且使用帕瓦（Pava，一种胡椒喷雾）被认为在这种情况下是不合理的。以下视频包含令人不安的场景。报告称，这种行为的缓解措施“有限”。
The following video contains distressing scenes. Smith failed to consider leaving the 92-year-old in his room to calm down, the panel found, plus the use of Pava, a type of pepper spray, was deemed unreasonable in the circumstances. There was "limited mitigation" for this behaviour, it said.
该小组还表示，史密斯对伯吉斯的语气和语言“本质上是轻蔑的”，而科莫托则是“敌对的”。
The panel also said Smith's tone and language towards Burgess was "dismissive in nature", while Comotto was "antagonistic".
科莫托的“最后一次机会”或“认真地”以及给伯吉斯有限的回应时间等言论被认为是不恰当的。专家组认为她使用武力是不合理的。
Comotto's statements such as "last chance" or 'seriously" and giving Burgess limited time to respond were found to be inappropriate. The panel found her use of force to be unreasonable.
助理警察局长彼得·加德纳表示，伯吉斯在自己的房间里，与居民隔离，不构成风险。他说，应该从疗养院工作人员那里了解更多信息。
Assistant Chief Constable Peter Gardner said Burgess was in his own room, isolated from residents and posed no risk. More information should have been ascertained from care home staff, he said.
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Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Sussex on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.