A police officer who used a 50,000-volt Taser on a 92-year-old wheelchair user living with dementia later responded to a social media post with a lightning emoji, which a misconduct hearing was told appeared to make light of the incident.

PC Rachel Comotto deployed the weapon against Donald Burgess, an amputee in a wheelchair, after he allegedly threatened care-home staff with a dinner knife and refused to put it down.

Body-worn camera footage shown to the disciplinary panel captured Mr Burgess crying out in pain as the Taser probes struck his chest and sent an electric shock through his body.

His health later worsened, prompting his transfer to hospital. He died three weeks afterwards following a cardiac arrest.

Hours after the confrontation at Park Beck Care Home in St Leonards-on-Sea, PC Comotto posted a lightning emoji while responding to a Facebook message.

The exchange began when a colleague commented on a separate officer’s Facebook page: “Happy birthday, the care home is getting closer and closer,” accompanied by a winking face and a laughing emoji.

PC Comotto replied: “We all know what happens in care homes,” followed by a lightning emoji.

The colleague responded: “I think you’ll be banned from going to any care homes in future. All he wanted to do was butter his bread,” adding two laughing emojis.

Giving evidence to the police disciplinary panel, PC Comotto said she made the remark after colleagues at the station had turned her into the subject of a joke.

She said other officers had been “laughing and joking” at her because she had used the Taser on a vulnerable dementia patient at a care home.

During the misconduct hearing in Lewes, East Sussex, PC Comotto accepted that her Facebook comment “doesn’t look good” and apologised to Mr Burgess’s family.

However, she maintained that she had posted it after colleagues made her “the butt” of jokes about what had happened.

Her lawyer, Colin Banham, asked whether colleagues had been “ribbing” her and how widely the joke had circulated.

PC Comotto replied that the officers did not know the full details, but had been laughing at her expense, saying the comments had spread throughout the office.

Mr Banham then asked whether the jokes referred to the incident taking place in a care home.

PC Comotto answered: “There was no humour directed at Mr Burgess.”

She also denied that her Facebook response was intended to mock Mr Burgess or make fun of the incident itself.

She said: “It was a continuation of the joke I was the subject of, or the butt of. I am the target of the joke, not Mr Burgess.”

‘With hindsight and without context it doesn’t look good and I want to extend my apologies to the family.’

The incident happened in June 2022 after police received reports of an elderly man threatening staff with a knife.

PC Stephen Smith and PC Comotto arrived at the home at 1.15pm and confronted wheelchair-bound Mr Burgess, who had been isolated in his own room and was holding a dinner knife.

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PC Smith walked into the room first and told Mr Burgess he would be ‘sprayed or tasered’ if he failed to immediately drop a knife he was holding.

In body-worn footage taken from PC Smith’s camera, the officer says: ‘Do you want to put the knife down mate for me or you will be sprayed or tasered. It’s up to you. Do you want to put it down for me?

‘Put it on the floor Donald don’t be silly. Come on, don’t be silly. We can solve this without having to resort to this.’

Raising his voice he says: ‘Do as you’re told. Put it down. Put it down. Donald put it down. Seriously, put it down. Last chance. Put it down now. Drop the knife. Drop the knife!’

He then pepper sprays the pensioner in the face before repeating his demands for Mr Burgess to drop the knife.

When Mr Burgess fails to do so he screams at the pensioner and hits him with his police baton.

PC Comotto then shouts ‘Taser, Taser’ before discharging the weapon at the wheelchair-bound pensioner who screams in pain.

In the second video shown of PC Comotto’s body-worn footage, she tries to tend to the pensioner, who is struggling to breathe following the pepper spray.

She says: ‘Donald. How’re you feeling?’

‘I’m dying,’ replies the 92-year-old.

The video footage shows the officers handcuffing the pensioner and then wheeling him out of the care home to give him fresh air.

PC Comotto, 37, and her colleague PC Stephen Smith, 52, are appearing before a disciplinary hearing accused of using ‘excessive force’ amounting to gross misconduct.

Earlier, PC Comotto told the hearing she had discharged the Taser at Mr Burgess to prevent him being hit with a baton a second time.

She said that after the initial strike was unsuccessful, she saw PC Smith was about to deliver a second blow.

PC Comotto said in consideration of his age a second strike was going to be too much for Mr Burgess.

She said: ‘I believe it was safer to use a taser as a lower level of risk. 

‘A baton strike is a high level of force and can be quite injurious. 

‘For an older person to receive a strike from a baton it would have more impact than on a younger person.’

It is not alleged at the disciplinary hearing the officers’ actions continued to the subsequent death of Mr Burgess who died after contracting Covid-19 in hospital and suffering a cardiac arrest. 

The hearing continues.

The Princess of Wales delighted elderly passengers in Sussex this morning when she joined a volunteer-led community transport service.

Catherine travelled to the picturesque village of Pulborough to meet the West Sussex Minibus team, whose service provides a crucial lifeline to people facing isolation, mobility difficulties or financial hardship that makes accessing public transport challenging.

Her first surprise visit was to Stella Drewett, 94, at her immaculate bungalow. Catherine then helped her board the minibus before accompanying her on a short trip to collect other passengers.

The journey ended at Pulborough Village Hall, home to a weekly lunch club that offers local residents a friendly place to enjoy activities, conversation and company.

Guests were stunned when the future queen joined them at each table, snacking on crisps and chatting warmly. She also revealed that she and the Prince of Wales make a “good double act” when it comes to washing up.

West Sussex Minibus, which marks its 50th anniversary this year, is run entirely by volunteers and serves people living in rural communities across the county.

The organisation was created in response to the decline of local public transport, helping older residents preserve their independence, social connections and quality of life.

From its beginnings with a single minibus, the service has expanded to a fleet of 11 vehicles operating from eight village hubs, with support from 284 volunteers.

Each year, the fleet covers approximately 60,000 miles and carries out 13,000 passenger journeys.

Wearing elegant grey trousers, a blouse and a matching overcoat, with her hair tied back in a ponytail, the princess stepped from the bus in vertiginous heels onto the driveway of former school cook Mrs Drewett.

Catherine waited courteously outside until Mrs Drewett invited her in. The 94-year-old insisted on making her own way out, telling the princess: “I like to do these things myself.”

“I bet you do!” Catherine replied. “I’ll follow you.”

The royal helped Mrs Drewett up the steps and onto the minibus, explaining that she was joining the lunch club “because I want to see what it’s all about”.

Catherine sat beside her during the journey and joked that she was always forgetting her handbag.

“Everyone always runs after me [shouting], ‘you forgot your handbag’.”

As she encouraged Mrs Drewett to fasten her seatbelt, the princess added: “I have to remind my children to put their seatbelts on too.”

At the village hall she chatted to the Lord Lieutenant of Sussex and volunteers outside, telling Alex Dolby and Pippa Reid: ‘I can see how much this means to them.’

Inside she first sat down a table with lively Lynda Jones, 75, who had her in fits of giggles. She told her: ‘I love washing up. I really do.’

‘Oh good, a volunteer,’ joked another guest.

Asked whether her husband helped, Catherine said: ‘He does the drying. We are a good double act. And we get the children involved.’

Examining the food on the table, the princess noted there was a bowl of crisps.

‘I bet you never eat crisps,’ Lynda teased her.

‘I do. I love salted,’ Catherine said, and took one to prove her point, gently nibbling on it as they chatted.

‘Is this a good way to make friendships? You seem to have a really wonderful community here,’ she said.

‘So many people feel isolated and cut off in their communities, it’s wonderful there are these places to come. You must all love coming together on your Wednesdays. A few crisps here and there!’

Lynda said afterwards: ‘Very natural, very beautiful. She looked at the crisps, so I let her have one. She said these are the ones she buys when she goes shopping…the salted ones.

‘She was lovely, very natural. I wouldn’t want to meet the other thing, shhhhhh!’ she added cheekily, perhaps in reference to other royals with Sussex links.

‘This is lovely. If you’ve got nothing at home you can book them, they will bring a minibus to your door and take your home. It gets you out, otherwise you would go mad.

‘It’s soup by royal appointment today! I didn’t think she would sit down by me. She so natural, she isn’t made up.’

Sarah Broadhurst, 87, stopped by to thank the princess for coming to Pulborough, and Catherine held her hands as they chatted.

‘I think it’s amazing she has come to our little place. It can be isolating so it lovely to have a royal visit,’ she said.

The princess also spoke to Clare Atkinson and Lynn Richards from the Pulborough District Community Care Association about the activities they put on for the lunch club guests.

‘She is so easy to talk to and we spoke about the benefits for health and mental wellbeing that things like this bring,’ said Clare.

Marian Graves, 84, added: ‘This village really is very special. And she really understood that.’

Outside the village hall a small crowd had gathered after word spread about the Princess’ visit, which had been kept secret in advance.

Amanda Ridley. 37, was FaceTiming her poorly mother, Sandra Berry, and twin sister, Sam Berry, and asked Catherine if she ‘would mind saying hello to them’.

‘I’m so sorry, I’ve just got my phone in your face. There’s my mum and my sister,’ she said, holding up her phone.

The princess smiled broadly and waved. ‘Hello! What are your names? Oh no, I’m sorry you are not feeling well. Poor you. Have you got someone looking after you?’

She also said hello to her daughter Paloma, five, who was also unwell. ‘Are you missing school today?’ she asked her sympathetically, running her head. ‘I hope you get better soon. Have lots of sleep.’

Ms Ridley told her: ‘Thank you so much.’

She said afterwards: ‘I really admire her and the way she has conducted herself given what she has been through. We are very lucky to have her. ‘

Another well-wisher told the princess: ‘You do such a fabulous job. You are such a role model. It’s a hard role to navigate and do justice to. You have such poise. ‘

She also stopped to speak to Thea Botley, 25, with her sons Alfie, one, and Arthur three.

Catherine immediately hunkered down on her heels to say hello and helped Albie jump off the kerb, holding his hands.

‘What’s your name? Hi. Hi Albie. Look at your cool boots. Jump? Well done. One more? Well done.’

‘Sorry I’ve started something,’ she laughed as Albie continued to jump as she walked off.

Thea said afterwards: ‘I’m so surprised he warmed to her and held hands as he can be shy with strangers. She was amazing.’

The princess also said hello to Beatrix, three, and stroked the ears of cocker spaniel Jack, also three, as she chatted.

Catherine, who has two cocker spaniels herself, asked her: ‘Is he cheeky? Does he steal your food. Whenever there is cereal on the floor our doggies always eat the cereal!’

According to royal officials, the princess is keen to highlight the role that community transport plays in bringing people together, reducing isolation and enabling the everyday acts of kindness that make volunteers the unsung heroes of many communities.

The cousin of a transgender New York Times executive who was murdered has offered his theory about a possible motive after the man was allegedly shot by his in-laws.

Jonathan McKinsey, 40, was killed after being shot multiple times in a parking lot at Dublin Sports Grounds in Dublin, California, on Saturday.

Shouyong Zhang and Shili Chen, both 77, were arrested on several charges, including murder. Police allege the pair took turns firing at McKinsey.

McKinsey had served as the New York Times’ head of engineering for games player experience since 2023. He was also involved in a bitter custody dispute with his estranged wife, Candice Jang, who is Zhang and Chen’s daughter.

Lovell Garner, McKinsey’s cousin, was asked by the California Post whether he believed the in-laws may have acted to support Jang’s custody case.

“I’d lay a lot of money on that,” Garner told the outlet. “It’s unbelievable that they would put themselves on the line like that for her.”

Garner said he was still struggling to process the news of his cousin’s death when he spoke with the outlet.

“Well, it’s all still pretty fresh for me, still. So far, everyone in my immediate family is completely shocked,” Garner said.

“It seems obvious that they were done with him since they killed him. Not sure what would make them do something that extreme.”

Garner said he had been out of contact with McKinsey for several years before reaching out about a year ago, after learning that his cousin was experiencing a difficult period.

He remembered McKinsey as “very smart” and “outgoing,” though he said his strongest memories were from before his cousin’s transition.

According to the Post, the executive was previously known as Dawn Finney before transitioning in 2010.

McKinsey married Jang in 2011, and the couple remained together until December 2025, when Jang filed for divorce.

Jang also sought a domestic violence prevention order against her spouse that year.

In the protection order filed in Alameda County Court in October 2025 and obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle, she accused McKinsey of physically, verbally and emotionally abusing her and their three young children.

Jang alleged that she had endured abuse at McKinsey’s hands over 17 years, including more than a dozen incidents between November 2020 and July 2025.

Court records show that a judge granted the protection order.

McKinsey was charged with cruelty to a child by endangering health and corporal injury to a child, both misdemeanors, and was freed on $50,000 bail.

At the time of his murder, he had also been trying to enter a mental health diversion program, which would have resulted in the charges being dropped upon completion, according to the Mercury News.

But McKinsey claimed in his own court filings that Jang was the one who had been abusive for more than 15 years.

In 2013, he claimed she beat him with a frying pan, according to the court documents. He also accused Jang of verbally denigrating the children.

He alleged that Chen, Jang’s mother, was verbally abusive to one of the couple’s young children, raising objections over the child’s clothing.

McKinsey further accused his in-laws of making derogatory remarks about his gender transition.

He claimed Chen directed anti-LGBTQ+ slurs at him and the child, referring first to the child and then to McKinsey as a ‘disgusting queer’ and a ‘pervert.’

The executive further accused Jang of being abusive during medical procedures related to his transition, claiming that at one point she tried to pull medical tubes from his body shortly after he had his breasts removed, according to the Mercury News.

He also alleged that Jang’s father, who was not named in the filing, punched him in the chest while he was recovering from the double mastectomy.

On the day of McKinsey’s death, witnesses reported seeing two masked shooters approach McKinsey in the parking lot and take turns unloading a barrage of shots into him before they ‘calmly’ walked away.

Images showed the suspects being taken into custody by the side of the road after they were reportedly flagged down by stunned witnesses to a nearby police sergeant.

Zhang and Chen have since been booked into Alameda County’s Santa Rita Jail and are being held without bail on charges including murder, felony conspiracy, child endangerment and dangerously firing a gun.

Zhang and Chen’s arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Garner, The New York Times, Dublin Police and the Alameda County District Attorney’s Office for comment.

John Cusack’s noticeably taut appearance sparked online speculation about possible cosmetic procedures during a podcast appearance this week.

The 60-year-old actor, celebrated for films such as Serendipity, Sixteen Candles and Con Air, appeared to be sporting a different look while reflecting on his career in the latest episode of the Happy Sad Confused with Josh Horowitz podcast.

As Cusack discussed the 1989 romantic comedy Say Anything, viewers focused on his face. One commenter joked that he was “turning into Barry Manilow,” a reference to the singer’s widely discussed facelift.

Other users likewise suggested, without offering evidence, that the actor may have undergone cosmetic work, sharing their opinions in the comments.

One person wrote: “I’ll take super-obvious face lifts for a thousand, Alex,” while another commented: “Oy vey, the facial fillers must stop…”

Additional remarks included: “Oh honey, his face,” “These guys and their facelifts!”, “What has he done, looks like Liza Minnelli” and “Ohhhh no they got John.”

Some fans pushed back against the criticism, reminding fellow commenters that Cusack is now 60. “People in these comments: John is 60 years old! People still think he is in his 20s?” one wrote.

Others offered their support, writing: “He’s always so calm, polite and grounded!”, “Love every one of his movies” and “so handsome.”

The Daily Mail has contacted Cusack’s representatives for comment but has not yet received a response.

During the candid interview, Cusack also addressed a persistent rumor that he had turned down the lead role of Walter White in the hit series Breaking Bad, which ultimately starred Bryan Cranston.

“Some of those things are so weird, because there was this whole riff that I had turned down Walter White. And I never ever remembered that, and I was like, did that happen and I blacked it out? Did I lose time?” he said.

“I met [Breaking Bad creator] Vince Gilligan in New York, and I was like, ‘Hey, man, I love your show, it’s awesome. I gotta know, everyone is saying you offered me that — did you offer me that?’ He was like, ‘No.’ I was like, ‘Thank you, Vince!’”

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Cusack became widely known for a run of coming-of-age films in the 1980s, including Sixteen Candles and Stand By Me. In more recent years, however, he has taken on fewer high-profile projects.

In a 2020 interview with The Guardian, Cusack said his reduced presence in major films was not due to a lack of interest. Instead, he suggested Hollywood had become less willing to back his projects.

“In the last few years, I haven’t been able to get projects financed. That could be a function of getting older. Or it could be a function of being cold…” he said.

‘I haven’t really been hot for a long time.’

Cusack is known more for his outspoken political views, notably rallying against President Trump and defending Palestine.

His last American film role came in 2025 in Fog of War and he has starred in two Chinese films, Dragon Blade with Jackie Chan in 2010, and spy-thriller Decoded in 2024, which was a box office hit in China.

John is also on online marketplace Cameo, where fans pay celebrities, athletes and influencers to record short, personalised video messages – he charges $199+ per recording.