The senior police officer at the scene when Brazilian student Roberto Laudisio Curti died had failed to take control of the situation and was concerned about Taser use only because his officers might get zapped or tangled in wires, a Sydney inquest has been told.
Inspector Gregory Cooper told Glebe Coroners Court on Monday he lay across the 21-year-old's back during the struggle on March 18 before telling his officers to turn off their Tasers.
Mr Curti, originally from Sao Paolo, died at the scene after several officers discharged their Tasers at him 14 times and used capsicum spray, handcuffs and batons to restrain him after a chase through Sydney's CBD.
The court heard Insp Cooper had said: "Turn your Tasers off, turn cartridges off, turn Tasers off."
"We had him on the ground, he was handcuffed. All we were trying to do was control his behaviour," Insp Cooper, who held the rank of sergeant at the time, said.
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"With my 15 years of experience, would I have used a Taser in that circumstance? No."
But under questioning by Murugan Thangaraj SC, representing some of the other officers involved, the inquest heard Insp Cooper told investigating officers the police at the scene "were doing all of the right things".
As a result, Mr Thangaraj said Insp Cooper called for officers to turn off their Tasers only because he was concerned they would get accidentally "zapped" or entangled by the wires.
"They were the only two concerns you experienced about the Taser," Mr Thangaraj said.
"That's correct," Insp Cooper replied. He agreed he made no mention about how Mr Curti was being brought under control in his 65-page police interview.
The inquest also heard Insp Cooper said, "no, no, he's in handcuffs, he's in handcuffs, don't taser", but he later admitted the taser part "may not have been said".
Peter Hamill SC, representing Mr Curti's family, said Insp Hamill's evidence was "pretty much contrary to everyone else".
The inquest heard Insp Cooper told investigating officers he believed Mr Curti had a knife and that while he was being capsicum sprayed, the young man "challenged" officers by saying, "Spray me, spray me."
"No one else at the scene heard that," Mr Hamill said. "I can't explain that," Insp Cooper replied. Insp Cooper said he heard one drive-stun being applied to Mr Curti's lower back, but he didn't hear a Taser used after he issued the order.
He said he was "certainly not aware" Mr Curti was "drive-stunned" seven times, a practice where the Taser is applied directly to the body.
"It's something about which you ought to have been aware," counsel assisting the coroner, Jeremy Gormly SC, said.
"No," Insp Cooper replied.
"You certainly ought to have stopped it," Mr Gormly said, adding, "On the night Mr Curti engaged with police, during the course of the arrest, you failed to take appropriate command of the situation and control the junior officers beneath you."
"I suggest to you in addition, whatever the volume of the use of (capsicum) spray and Taser, that you failed to take sufficient action to stop or minimise the use of either of these appointments during the course of the arrest of Mr Curti."
Insp Cooper denied this.
The inquest continues before NSW State Coroner Mary Jerram.
