A regional community has been left stunned after a man died during a police arrest, with witnesses describing a chaotic and confronting scene.
Witnesses say a police Taser failed to stop a violent man who died during an attempted arrest on a normally quiet street in Clare, about 140km from Adelaide.
Neighbours told 7NEWS the 44-year-old had been living in a caravan on his grandparents’ property when chaos erupted on Sunday — with a metal pole used to smash parts of neighbour Sorayah White’s home while she was inside.
“Like he was banging on stuff initially… before he actually broke the shed, he was just hitting it,” she told 7NEWS.
Moments later, the street was filled with detectives after the man became unresponsive as officers tried to restrain him.
“It’s pretty shocking since it’s so close… just down the road,” White said.
She says police deployed a Taser, but it appeared to have little effect.
“They kind of hit his arm, but he had quite a thick jumper on, so it didn’t really affect him,” she said.
“He was still up for a number of minutes after that. They weren’t rough — they were really trying to calm him down with words.”
Locals say they’re stunned.
“I’ve seen him around… he seemed like a nice bloke, always said hello,” one neighbour told 7NEWS.
A Commissioner’s Inquiry has now been launched, with body-worn camera footage expected to play a crucial role.
SA Police Minister Michael Brown says he has confidence the inquiry will be “thorough” and deliver answers.
Detectives remained at the scene late into the night and are expected to return as investigations continue.
