Sydney's southern suburbs were swimming in red and white yesterday, the colours of the St George Illawarra Dragons, who won the NRL grand final on Sunday. But in one quiet street the residents wore black and the wails of mourners could be heard from the footpath.
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Instead of discussing their team's victory, it was the events surrounding the death of 35-year-old Steven Bosevski that animated conversation in the family's Bardwell Valley home.
''I'm hearing he got hit in the head,'' the dead man's twin, Steve Bosevski, said. ''They killed him.''
The twins and their younger brother, Tony, were celebrating in St George Leagues Club's outdoor area on Sunday night. About 50 police had amassed outside, called to the crowded club as about 1000 fans were trying to get in.
Police said they had been forced to break up a fight between two men which quickly spread in the crowded bar. Officers struck several people with batons, and two of the club's security guards were also hurt.
The commander of Central Metropolitan Region, Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch, said the dead man had been sprayed with capsicum spray and hit with a baton, although he would not say where. The cause of death is yet to be established.
Mr Murdoch confirmed Tony Bosevski had been stunned with a Taser, but denied he was handcuffed at the time.
He said he had viewed CCTV footage of the incident.
''I've seen a few fights in my life and I'd say this was beyond a fight,'' he said.
Steve Bosevski said he had exchanged words with another man, but they had gone their separate ways shortly afterwards. ''We were in the beer garden. There was no fight. They [police] were telling us: 'You've got to leave,''' he said.
Mr Bosevski says he was attempting to do just that when police approached. ''They pepper-sprayed us all. We couldn't see nothing. I was calling out: 'Tony, Tony.' Steven wasn't near us. We were calling out and there's no answer. This lady came over to us and said, 'Your brother is not breathing'.''
Mr Bosevski said he had been kneed in the ribcage by a police officer while they restrained him on the ground, while police fired a Taser at his brother.
As Steven lay dying, they were arrested and taken to St George police station in Kogarah and placed in holding cells, he said. They were released without charge shortly before dawn.
Worldwide at least 61 people have died after being sprayed with capsicum spray, although many of the deaths were, at least partly, attributed to pre-existing medical conditions.
This is the first such death in NSW, but at least four people have died after being sprayed in Australia. Capsicum spray has also been known to interact with some drugs, including blood pressure medication and illicit drugs such as cocaine.
Civil libertarians warned yesterday that police were ''lowering the bar'' as to when they felt justified in using Tasers and capsicum spray, thereby putting lives at risk, when previously they could handle brawls without weapons.
The vice-president of the Australian Council of Civil Liberties, Terry O'Gorman, said the fundamental of police training was that they learn how to control people without harming them.''
''Police, before the introduction of capsicum, were perfectly able to deal with civil disorder,'' Mr O'Gorman said.
David Burnie, of the NSW Council for Civil Liberties, said there was a tendency for police to resort to Tasers and capsicum spray as ''punishment'' for people being unco-operative.
with Georgina Robinson
