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man who died in hospital after being subdued by police when a fight broke out at the St George Leagues Club last night following the Dragons' NRL grand final victory was also hit with a baton, police revealed today.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch, commander of the Central Police Region, named the dead man as Steven Bosoevski, 35, from Arncliffe.
Assistant Commissioner Murdoch told a press briefing today that he had watched CCTV footage from the club to review what had happened.
He confirmed that the club bar was packed and there had been a lot of drinking.
He said a fight had broken out between two men at the bar, and it appeared to spread.
Security guards who had been watching the group before the fight tried to intervene, he said.
Then, police officers who were at the club to head off any trouble, also stepped in, equipped with batons, capsicum spray and Taser stun guns, said Assistant Commissioner Murdoch.
He said Mr Bosoevski was struck with a police baton during the altercation. He did not say where he was hit.
Capsicum spray was also used and a number of people were affected, including Mr Bosoevski.
"This is a tragedy all round, obviously for the family, for St George Football Club and for the police involved," Mr Murdoch said.
He said when police drew their batons and used them to control the fracas, a number of people were struck, and that might have included one of the club's security guards.
Mr Bosoevski was taken to St George Hospital where he died early today.
Another man who was on the floor of the club was hit with a police Taser.
But Mr Murdoch denied reports that this man had been Tasered while handcuffed.
He said that a critical incident team had been established to investigate and that the matter was now in the hands of the coroner.
The coroner would decide how Mr Bosoevski died and whether it was in any way related to what happened to him at the club and whether the police might or might not have used excessive force.
He said that a number of people were assisting police with their inquiries.
Police said that until the incident at the club, there had been very little trouble at the club or elsewhere in the city.
"The night was handled very well by the St George Leagues Club," Assistant Commissioner Murdoch said. "Up to that point, everything was going very well."
Source:
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/...-police-chief-20101004-163hr.html?autostart=1
