Australian Police to be charged over Taser death of Brazilian

Four police officers who were involved in the violent and lethal arrest of a young Brazilian student will have criminal assault charges laid against them.

Roberto Laudisio Curti, 21, died on Pitt Street in the early hours of March 18, 2012, following a chase by, and violent struggle with, 11 police officers, many of whom were acting on incorrect reports of an armed robbery.

He had earlier jumped the counter of a convenience store in an LSD-induced psychotic state and left with two packets of biscuits.

The talented football player had been out in Kings Cross celebrating a win with friends but ended up roaming the city's streets on his own in a paranoid, sweaty state.

Two police officers spotted him wandering down Pitt Street and tried to speak to him before he ran off. More officers joined the chase and eventual restraint.

Tasers were fired up to 14 times - nine of which hit Mr Curti - and he was restrained by seven officers using three cans of OC spray, two sets of handcuffs, a police baton and "half a tonne" of officers, an inquest heard last October.

State Coroner Mary Jerram stopped short of recommending criminal charges and instead referred the matter to the Police Integrity Commission when she handed down scathing findings.

The Police Integrity Commission referred an extensive brief of evidence to the Director of Public Prosecutions in May, recommending that some of the officers be charged.

On Friday, the DPP advised the PIC that there was sufficient evidence to charge four of the officers.

It is expected that Senior Constable Scott Edmondson and Constable Daniel Barling will be charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm and Senior Constable Eric Lim and Senior Constable Damien Ralph will be charged with the lesser offence of common assault.

Senior Constable Edmondson Tasered Mr Curti twice in the back as he lay on the ground resisting arrest and was one of five officers picked out by Ms Jerram for their "reckless, careless, dangerous and excessively forceful" actions.

Constable Barling was also chastised for Tasering Mr Curti five times in "drive stun" mode whereby the Taser is pressed against the skin rather than shot from afar.

Senior Constable Ralph used three partial cans of capsicum spray on Mr Curti, possibly as close as 10 centimetres from his face, while several police officers were on top of him.

Senior Constable Lim told the inquest that he tried to tackle Mr Curti twice but, considering he weighed just 55 kilograms, fired his Taser once to bring Mr Curti to the ground and another time when Mr Curti was on the ground in handcuffs.

Ms Jerram found that the police officers acted "like schoolboys in Lord of the Flies" and their "thuggish" actions contributed to the death of Mr Curti.

It is expected that the DPP will lay the charges in the next week and the four officers will appear before a court in the new year.


http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/police-to-be-charged-over-taser-death-of-roberto-laudisio-curti-20131213-2zb2l.html