In the past few weeks in Australia the issue of the roll out of Taser guns to the nations police forces has become a hot topic. In the space of three weeks two people have died as a result of the use of the Taser Gun. Imported from the United States the weapon has only been partially tested by the countries various police bodies. The police argue it is better to used a Taser on an offender than a real pistol or other weapon. Critics argue that to date there have been too many fatal injuries resulting from the use of the Taser.

Taser International claims that Tasers are safe, but critics disagree, citing the number of deaths occurring after Taser use. Amnesty International has documented over 245 deaths that occurred after the use of Tasers. Amnesty International Canada and other civil liberties organizations have argued that a moratorium should be placed on Taser use until research can determine a way for them to be safely used.

An Aboriginal man from a remote western desert community was last night being airlifted to a Perth hospital after he was shot by police with a Taser gun and engulfed in flames.

About midday yesterday at the West Australian community of Warburton after police went to a house where Ronald Mitchell and others were sniffing petrol. The Royal Flying Doctor Service airlifted Mr Mitchell to a Perth hospital to be treated for burns to about 20 per cent of his body.

How the 36-year-old was set alight but family members told The Australian last night that his body burst into flames after the Taser hit him on the bridge of his nose.

His sister, Morinda West, said Mr Mitchell was sniffing petrol in his mother's house when police banged on the door and asked him to come out. Ms West said her brother, who was released from prison two months ago, was scared he was going to be arrested. He refused.

He eventually decided to leave and went to the front of the house with a lighter and a two-litre orange juice container full of petrol, she said.

"He must have put petrol on his face, then the policeman shot him with the Taser, that's when the flames happened," she said.

Ms West said there were two police officers present, a male and a female. She said the male officer fired the Taser and the female officer rushed into the house and asked Ms West to get water to douse the flames.

A police spokeswoman said last night that a male police officer fired the Taser when Mr Mitchell ran at police with the petrol container and refused to stop when asked.

She said Mr Mitchell then caught alight and the police officer immediately went to his aid, smothering the flames with his arms. She said at the same time the male officer was hit in the head with rocks thrown by an 18-year-old woman.

Queensland has halted the roll-out of Tasers to general-duty police after the death of a man last month who had been stunned 28 times.

NSW will introduce Tasers to general-duty police this month, while Western Australia already issues them to general-duty police.

Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the ACT have restricted the weapons to specialist tactical response squads.

The Australian reported on July 13 that Victoria's Office of Police Integrity had recommended that as the state's force had failed to tackle the shoot-to-kill culture that made it the nation's most deadly force,