Tasers were fired up to 14 times by four officers and he was restrained by seven officers using three cans of capsicum spray, two sets of handcuffs and a police baton. The young student and football player died minutes later. In the second week of a two-week inquest into Mr Curti's death, Inspector Cooper said he was aware Mr Curti had been Tasered twice when he shouted at officers to turn their Tasers off. He also recalled shouting: "No, no, he's in handcuffs, he's in handcuffs, don't Taser." However it is likely Mr Curti was "drive stunned" with a Taser several more times by other officers. "Drive stunning" is using a Taser by pressing it against someone's body rather than shooting from afar.

Inspector Cooper, who has 15 years' experience in the police force, said he believed Mr Curti should not have been Tasered because officers had brought him to the ground and were now in a phase of trying to calm him down so he would stop resisting arrest. "All we were trying to do now was control his behaviour," he said. "There was enough police there to deal with that using a hands-on approach ... not with appointments [weapons]." The inquest has looked closely at the issue of multiple Taser use including whether the officers were justified in Tasering Mr Curti many times and whether it contributed to his death. No cause of death has been established. Inspector Cooper said multiple and prolonged periods of using capsicum spray would also have been inappropriate but he was not aware of this happening at the time.

However, another police officer told the inquest earlier today that he used nearly three cans of capsicum spray on Mr Curti, possibly as close as 10 centimetres from his face while "half a tonne" of police officers were on top of him. Senior Constable Damien Ralph used up to three partial cans of capsicum spray during the struggle with Mr Curti. Less than an hour later, he died on the Pitt Street pavement after being chased by up to 11 officers, Tasered several times, sprayed repeatedly and handcuffed and restrained by seven officers. Senior Constable Ralph admitted he could have been as close as 10 centimetres from Mr Curti's face when he used his capsicum spray, despite police training recommending a distance of 60 centimetres. Senior Constable Ralph believed he was about 30 centimetres away from Mr Curti's face but three other officers said in their statements that he was about 10 centimetres. He admitted to the inquest that this could be true.

He told the inquest police were allowed to be closer in urgent circumstances. Senior Constable Ralph said Mr Curti was resisting violently. Despite having to restrain offenders on the drug "ice" during his time in the police force, he said he had "never" dealt with someone as strong and resistive as Mr Curti. Asked by Peter Hamill, SC, representing the Laudisio family, why he continually sprayed Mr Curti as he was face down on the pavement, Senior Constable Ralph replied: "I didn't believe it had any effect on him." In his statement to police after the event, he said there were in excess of half a tonne of police officers restraining Mr Curti at about the same time he had been Tasered by drive stun more than once. He clarified the comment to the court this morning and said that not all the officers were applying their whole weight.

"And [then] you sprayed as much as you could?" Mr Hamill asked. "Not as much as I could, no," Senior Constable Ralph replied. Minutes later, Mr Curti's face had turned blue and officers could no longer detect a pulse. Asked if he would have done anything differently, Senior Constable Ralph said no. "Was anything in the circumstances excessive?" Mr Hamill asked.

"No," he replied. "Was anything OK to do to Roberto at the time to arrest him?" Mr Hamill asked. "No," he replied. The inquest before State Coroner Mary Jerram continues until Friday.