"Complicated death" - autopsy doctor

Yesterdays inquest into Curti's death at the hands of the NSW police  was concerning itself with the actual cause of death. It appears there's no particular consensus on the issue other than there were multiple contributing factors. My guess is that everything they did contributed to his death; tasering, capsicum spray, half a tonne of police weight on him. One suggestion that with the amount of capsicum spray used (3cans 10 cm from his face) that his airways swelled and blocked.

"This is a very complicated death and I do not think we have enough scientific evidence (about) the multiple factors that may have contributed to (it)," she said.

Mr Curti was first tasered shortly after 6am before being subjected to another seven "drive stuns" while he was handcuffed on the ground. He also had up to three cans of capsicum sprayed in his face. more

I'm still amazed at how the police still consider, after all this evidence against them, that they've done absolutely nothing wrong. Even the completely absurd assertion by the cop who tasered him 5 times in 1.5 minutes that he was doing it for his (Curti's) protection:

The officer, who was only seven months out of the police academy at the time of the incident, yesterday admitted to using his Taser five times in "drive-stun mode" - with the weapon pressed directly to Mr Curti's skin. 

One of the "blasts" lasted 14 seconds and came only two seconds after a previous stun ended. Constable Barling said he thought his Taser use was "justified" due to Mr Curti's "violent resistance". 

"It was anarchy, there were people doing things I couldn't see ... I feared not only for my safety but also (for) the other police and Roberto," he said. 

Mr Curti was tasered to the ground and then handcuffed after stealing two packets of biscuits from a convenience store in the Sydney CBD in the early hours of March 18. 

Mr Curti was tasered nine times over about 10 minutes, before police noticed he was not breathing and unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate him.more

I was a bit upset about this whole thing yesterday afternoon. Think it's bought back some of the memories of my little experience with NSW police brutality. It was incredibly traumatic, and something I certainly didn't need at the time. I ended up in Emergency as I told them I was suicidal after it. Had to convince the psychologist on duty not to lock me up for my own protection. The only bloody protection I needed was from the fuckin police. They broke two of my ribs when me, the big macho 68 kilo monster, resisted arrest after swearing at them:

Of course they had all the excuses under the fuckin sun, and non of it was their fault, and I had no money and couldn't pursue it in court. I was in the end happy to get off with a small fine for offensive language. They'd charged me with that and resisting arrest. My solicitor said it was less than a slap on the wrist what the magistrate fined me.