Latest news with #Burgess
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Fayette County veteran honored with bridge dedication
OAK HILL, WV (WVNS) – A Fayette County hometown hero has been recognized for his service and sacrifice for his own Darrell Lee Burgess was only 19 when he lost his life on the frontlines. A member of the United States Marine Corps during World War II, Burgess held the rank of Private First Class and was gunned down just two weeks shy of his 20th birthday. Now, more than 80 years later, the Oak Hill Main Street bridge is being dedicated in his honor. Fayette County Delegate Elliott Pritt told 59News that Burgess lost his life while protecting others around him.'He died on the gun. He was shot by a Japanese sniper in the head and was killed instantly,' Pritt said. 'But he was at his gun trying to provide covering fire for other marines in his platoon.' The dedication of the bridge came after the passage of a resolution sponsored by Pritt and Delegate Ridenour in the most recent session of the West Virginia Legislature. Located just near the dedication site for another highly significant historical figure, one Hank Williams Sr., the USMC PFC Darrell Lee Burgess Memorial Bridge will ensure that a local American hero is never forgotten. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Mercury
20 hours ago
- Health
- Mercury
Smokerlyzers tackling smoking in Tasmanian Aboriginal community
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tasmania. Followed categories will be added to My News. For Sienna Scotney-Barron a reading on a new smokerlyzer was a shock. The 20-year-old, who is studying medical science at university, has been smoking on and off since she was 16. But with the help of Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre alcohol and other drugs co-ordinator Tina Goodwin (Burgess) she hopes to kick the habit. 'The first reading was a reality check,' Ms Scotney-Barron said. 'I want to focus on my health and getting the number down.' Her low green reading of two on the smokerlyzer – a carbon monoxide monitor that provides real-time, visual feedback on smoking's immediate effects – brought a smile to her face on Friday. The TAC is hoping to reduce smoking rates and drive better health outcomes for Aboriginal communities, with the help of the new smokerlyzers at its five health clinics across the state. Ms Goodwin (Burgess), said the technology was a gamechanger. 'Clients are either shocked, excited, intrigued or interested after receiving their smokerlyzer results,' she said. 'They can't wait to see if they can get their reading down at the next opportunity and they want to bring their family and friends in to have a go. 'At TAC, quitting smoking is everyone's business. 'Our team is committed to better outcomes for our people, and the Smokerlyzers have given us a new way to start life-changing conversations.' Ms Goodwin (Burgess) said while the internal effects of smoking are hard to see, putting the numbers on a screen can be a great motivator. 'We're seeing real curiosity, determination and even excitement from clients who want to understand and improve their results,' she said. 'We chose the advanced smokerlyzer model, with the capacity to safely measure carbon monoxide levels in pregnant women, who are an important cohort for us to educate and empower given the low birth weights we see in Aboriginal communities.' The initiative is one of several programs across the state as part of the Tasmanian Council of Social Service's Smoke-Free Communities Project, which aims to decrease nicotine rates among community service organisation clients and staff. TasCOSS CEO, Adrienne Picone, said the TAC's integration of new technology to show the effects of smoking demonstrated the power of taking innovative approaches. 'Community organisations such as the TAC have trusted relationships with the people they serve, making them uniquely positioned to support smoking cessation in ways that governments or clinical services alone can't achieve. 'Tasmania continues to see some of the worst rates of smoking and nicotine use in Australia, but organisations like TAC are doing the heavy lifting to turn this around, leading the way to create smoke free communities by empowering people to take small, practical steps to change addictive habits.'
South Wales Guardian
3 days ago
- South Wales Guardian
Jury retires in trial of police officers who Pava-sprayed and tasered amputee
Pc Stephen Smith, 51, and Pc Rachel Comotto, 36, faced trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of using excessive force on Donald Burgess during an incident at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. The care home had called 999 after Mr Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user, reportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to stab staff. Judge Christopher Hehir, summarising the evidence on Wednesday, told jurors: 'The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection.' Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into Mr Burgess's face and struck his wrist with a baton, with Comotto deploying her Taser, all within a minute and 23 seconds of entering the wheelchair-bound pensioner's room. Smith denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his use of Pava spray and for using a baton, whilst Comotto denies one count related to her use of a Taser on Mr Burgess. Judge Hehir asked jurors to retire and consider their verdicts on Wednesday, adding they should reach their decision 'with their heads, not their hearts'. Prosecutors say the force used against Mr Burgess, who had been reportedly waving the serrated cutlery knife around and telling staff he would 'take pleasure' in murdering them, was 'unjustified and unlawful' given his age and physical condition. Mr Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident and later contracted Covid. He died 22 days later aged 93. Smith previously told jurors he did not see that Mr Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding in his hand. During his evidence, he denied emptying a full can of Pava in Mr Burgess's face, saying it was 'a short burst'. He also denied hitting Mr Burgess with a baton, claiming he instead flicked the baton towards the pensioner's wrist to 'knock the knife out' of his hand. During her evidence, Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to 'protect' Mr Burgess as she feared her colleague using the baton again would cause more harm. 'I'm not a trigger-happy officer,' she told jurors. 'It's the first time I've fired my Taser.'
Rhyl Journal
3 days ago
- Rhyl Journal
Jury retires in trial of police officers who Pava-sprayed and tasered amputee
Pc Stephen Smith, 51, and Pc Rachel Comotto, 36, faced trial at Southwark Crown Court accused of using excessive force on Donald Burgess during an incident at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. The care home had called 999 after Mr Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user, reportedly grabbed a knife and threatened to stab staff. Judge Christopher Hehir, summarising the evidence on Wednesday, told jurors: 'The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection.' Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into Mr Burgess's face and struck his wrist with a baton, with Comotto deploying her Taser, all within a minute and 23 seconds of entering the wheelchair-bound pensioner's room. Smith denies two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his use of Pava spray and for using a baton, whilst Comotto denies one count related to her use of a Taser on Mr Burgess. Judge Hehir asked jurors to retire and consider their verdicts on Wednesday, adding they should reach their decision 'with their heads, not their hearts'. Prosecutors say the force used against Mr Burgess, who had been reportedly waving the serrated cutlery knife around and telling staff he would 'take pleasure' in murdering them, was 'unjustified and unlawful' given his age and physical condition. Mr Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident and later contracted Covid. He died 22 days later aged 93. Smith previously told jurors he did not see that Mr Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding in his hand. During his evidence, he denied emptying a full can of Pava in Mr Burgess's face, saying it was 'a short burst'. He also denied hitting Mr Burgess with a baton, claiming he instead flicked the baton towards the pensioner's wrist to 'knock the knife out' of his hand. During her evidence, Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to 'protect' Mr Burgess as she feared her colleague using the baton again would cause more harm. 'I'm not a trigger-happy officer,' she told jurors. 'It's the first time I've fired my Taser.'
Glasgow Times
3 days ago
- Glasgow Times
Police officers who pepper-sprayed and Tasered amputee, 92, cleared of assault
Pc Stephen Smith, 51, and Pc Rachel Comotto, 36, were accused of using excessive force on Donald Burgess during a confrontation at Park Beck care home in St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex, in June 2022. Jurors returned their unanimous verdicts on both Sussex Police officers at Southwark Crown Court after around two hours of deliberations on Wednesday. Sussex Police officers Pc Stephen Smith (left) and Pc Rachel Comotto (right) leave Westminster Magistrates' Court, London (Yui Mok/PA) They found Smith not guilty of two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm for his use of Pava spray and for using a baton, whilst Comotto was found not guilty of one count for deploying her Taser. The care home had called 999 after Mr Burgess, a single-leg amputee and wheelchair user, reportedly grabbed a knife he was given to cut his food and threatened to stab staff. The court previously heard this was 'out of character' for Mr Burgess, whose movements with the knife were described by deputy care home manager Donna Gardner as 'extremely quick'. 'The reason for his behaviour that day, we now know, is that he was delirious as a result of a urinary tract infection,' judge Christopher Hehir told jurors. Smith sprayed synthetic Pava pepper spray into Mr Burgess's face and used his baton to try and knock the knife out of Mr Burgess's hand, with Comotto deploying her Taser, all within a minute and 23 seconds of entering the wheelchair-bound pensioner's room. Mr Burgess was taken to hospital after the incident and later contracted Covid. He died 22 days later aged 93. Care home manager Steve Cooper previously told jurors Burgess had been threatening staff for more than 30 minutes with a serrated knife before they decided to call 999. 'He was very aggressive and threatening to hurt my members of staff,' he told the court. 'We tried to use different de-escalation techniques. He wasn't responding to anything we said. Sussex Police officer Pc Rachel Comotto at Southwark Crown Court in London (Lucy North/PA) 'He had a look in his eyes I've never seen before – he wasn't the Donald I knew.' He said Mr Burgess jabbed the knife towards him and told him: 'I'm going to murder you, and I'll enjoy it.' The court heard both Smith and Comotto repeatedly asked Mr Burgess to drop the knife, with Smith warning him: 'Put the knife down mate, or you will be sprayed or tasered. That's up to you.' Footage from body-worn cameras played to the jury during the trial showed Smith then discharging the spray directly into Mr Burgess's face. Mr Burgess then raised the knife a couple of times as Smith uses his baton to try and get the knife out of his hand. When this failed, Comotto deployed her Taser. Pc Smith previously told jurors he did not see that Mr Burgess was disabled and using a wheelchair until after the incident as he was focused on the knife the pensioner was holding in his hand. He added he believed Mr Burgess 'could clearly understand what we were saying to him' as Mr Burgess reportedly asked 'Are there many more of them coming?' – suggesting he was aware Smith and Comotto were police officers. During his evidence, Pc Smith also denied hitting Mr Burgess with a baton, claiming he instead flicked the baton towards the pensioner's wrist to 'knock the knife out' of his hand. Smith said: 'The way he had been threatening staff members – the threat was the knife, to the staff there and also to himself. 'I just wanted the knife out of the gent's hand.' During her evidence, Pc Comotto said she believed using the Taser was the safest way to 'protect' Mr Burgess as she feared her colleague using the baton again would cause more harm. She added she knew from her training the risk of injury to Mr Burgess was higher with a baton than with a Taser. She said: 'It was proportionate because other tactics had failed. If I didn't act, something worse could happen.' 'I'm not a trigger-happy officer,' she added. 'It's the first time I've fired my Taser.'
