On the evening of 17 March 2012 (St Patrick's Day), along with two friends, Roberto Laudisio Curti consumed a quantity of LSD, which caused him to suffer from acute psychosis, manifesting as an array of delusional and paranoid behaviours.
Curti then got into a fight with four unidentified men in Sydney central business district (CBD) before entering a convenience store on King St.
[3] A street-cleaner who saw this taking place inside the store called 000 and reported the incident, which was classified as an "armed robbery" following NSW police Standard Operating Procedures, although no weapons had been seen.
[5] During a struggle on the ground, tasers were used in drive-stun mode 7 times, and "at least some of the contents of each of three cans" of OC spray was discharged at Curti's face.
Officers commenced CPR[6] and called the Ambulance Service of NSW to attend the scene, but on the arrival of the latter Curti was pronounced life extinct.
[12][13] A Coronial Inquest commenced on 8 October 2012 with the objective of determining the causes and circumstances surrounding Laudisio's death, and focused on the force used by the police.
[21] In mid-2013, NSW Police explained that the use of tasers during foot pursuits was prohibited unless the person caused a great risk of bodily harm to other people, or if they are visibly armed and dangerous.