Aussie man dies after taser goes off 28 times

A Taser used on a man who died after being stunned went off 28 times at the time of the incident, say police.

Queensland Police say data downloaded from the Taser used on a 39-year-old Antonio Galeano in Brandon, near Townsville, showed it operated on 28 separate cycles at the incident on June 12.

In a statement, Queensland Police said they were analysing the Taser to determine how many of those 28 cycles involved Galeano.

Deputy Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said it was unclear if the man had been shot that many times.

"We are yet to understand exactly what those activations were - whether they were being fired or whether it was ... placed against an object or person," Mr Stewart told ABC Radio.

He said one cycle lasted up to five seconds but there was no standard on how many times it should be triggered.

"There is no specific guideline that restricts the number of times the trigger can be pulled," Mr Stewart told ABC Radio.

A criminal justice expert said one shot was enough to disable someone.

Criminologist and RMIT Professor Julian Bondy says the incident raises questions over why Tasers are so powerful.

"We don't issue frontline police with firearms with a thousand bullets, we don't issue them with capsicum spray the size of fire extinguishers," he said.

"Every other weapon they have is limited in its capacity but this one is out of proportion."

Queensland Police Union acting president Ian Leavers said he was baffled by the data.

"At first it was believed the man was tasered three times, now this figure that's come out is baffling," he said.

"I say let's get cameras on Tasers so we can be certain - it's important we have the best available evidence when allegations of wrongdoing or excessive force are made."

He said cameras would provide footage of an event which could clarify how many times a person was tasered.

A coroner is investigating the death.

- AAP