Tasers in the firing line

The use of Tasers has been drawn to attention in the summing up of the inquest into Curti's death at the hands of the police. I agree with the questioning about tasers and the training involved with them. But to me it's as much about the attitude of the police as well, who apparently feel they can do no wrong. 

The use of the Capsicum spray is a huge issue as well. Nobody can even say that police training was followed in this. It's supposed to be sprayed much further away that a mere 10 cm, and they used nearly 3 bloody cans of it on him that close. 

The coroner is handing down her findings on Nov 14th. I have that date marked on the calendar, so interested I am in this case. I trust that she will address all the issues involved in this case, particularly the actions and attitudes of the police involved. It's beyond all logic and belief to even suggest that what they did to Curti was without fault, as the police have done throughout this inquest. 

Here's some of the summing up, I'm not putting anything here from those representing the cops as I feel physically sick reading it. You can follow the links if you want to do so. One from the Nine site and the other the SMH.

Council assisting the coroner, Jeremy Gormly, SC, told the inquest the 21-year-old foreign student had suffered significantly in the last moments of his life and police had acted in a "thuggish" manner.

He said the Taser use was unnecessary and unjustified once Mr Curti was in handcuffs.

"To what extent should police be allowed to use a painful item to achieve compliance rather than to protect from danger to life and limb?" he asked the court.

"To taser somebody who is on the ground, who was surrounded by other officers, who was on the ground, was a thuggish act." more
______________________________________________
Each said they believed their actions were justified because the circumstances were so violent and extreme.

Yesterday, however, in a powerful closing submission, the counsel assisting the coroner, Jeremy Gormly, SC, said most of the Taser uses were unnecessary, unjustified and against the police force's standard operating procedures.

One had committed a ''thuggish act'', Mr Gormly said. The family's representative, Peter Hamill, SC, submitted that others had engaged in sheer, unlawful brutality, given untruthful evidence, ''conveniently'' forgotten things and shown no remorse in court. Just two, Constable Daniel Barling and Acting Sergeant Craig Partridge, had offered condolences to Mr Curti's family.

The confusing, contradictory presentation of events has posed important questions about Taser use. Is the multiple and simultaneous use of Tasers justified? Is the training given to officers sufficient? Can the powerful device be misused too easily, leading to death?

Since 2008, any frontline officer who completes yearly training can carry a Taser and administer its 1200 volt electric shock.

Three officers gave vastly different understandings of the standard operating procedures, which only say that multiple uses should be reserved for ''exigent circumstances''.

In one piece of evidence Inspector Greg Cooper said he had never even heard of the operating procedure that said multiple use might lead to death. Read more