Latest news with #JusticeForKumanjayi
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Former cop who shot dead 19-year-old Aboriginal man during arrest attempt reveals his surprising next move
A former NT police officer who fatally shot an Indigenous teenager during an arrest attempt will speak on a panel for an upcoming networking event. Zachary Rolfe, who was acquitted of murder in 2022 after shooting Kumanjayi Walker three times in 2019, is among eight speakers at the Frontline Summit: Purpose in Service and Beyond being held in Parramatta, west of Sydney, on Saturday. The event held at Parramatta Barracks between 9am to 5pm promises 'expert speakers, practical sessions, and networking opportunities'. Announcing the summit, organisers said it aimed to 'create a community, helping our colleagues find purpose in service and transition when leaving the job'. Mr Rolfe described the event in a post online as a 'solid day with the right people, pushing the culture in the right direction', as reported by The Guardian. The former NT officer could reportedly be paid up to $10,000 for talks on 'leadership, crisis management and ethical decision-making'. Online ticket sales for the summit appear to have been suspended on Tuesday. A protest calling for an end to black deaths in custody is being held at Parramatta Square on the same day, with the march scheduled to finish at the Barracks. The rally is calling for justice for Kumanjayi White – a 24-year-old man from Yuendumu who died in an unrelated incident while in police custody inside Coles in Alice Springs on May 27. No charges have been laid, no cause of death has been determined, nor have the officers allegedly involved in the incident been stood down. In November 2019, Mr Rolfe fatally shot Mr Walker during a botched arrest attempt in the rural town of Yuendumu, 290km northwest of Alice Springs. Mr Rolfe was stabbed with scissors during the arrest. He was found not guilty of all charges following a high-profile five week trial in the Supreme Court in 2022. The former police officer is now represented by by Robert Joske Management whose clients include former Foreign Affairs minister Alexander Downer and former Queensland premier Anna Bligh. In an online bio for Mr Rolfe, it reads his life 'took a dramatic turn' following Mr Walker's death. 'Throughout this gruelling process, he (Mr Rolfe) exhibited remarkable resilience, navigating legal complexities with the same focus and determination that characterised his military and policing careers,' the bio read. '(Mr Rolfe) will offer compelling insights into critical aspects of modern corporate leadership through his engaging talks.' The inquest into Mr Walker's death began following Mr Rolfe's acquittal. When Mr Rolfe gave evidence at the inquest, he claimed there was 'racist awards' within the NT Police Force. Meanwhile, Ian Freckleton, representing the NT Police, alleged Mr Rolfe was a 'racist', reported NT News. Coroner Elisabeth Armitage is due to declare her findings on July 7. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Rolfe and a representative for the Frontline Summit for comment.
ABC News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- ABC News
Alice locals mourn Kumanjayi White
Isabella Higgins: And a warning, the next story mentions the name of an Indigenous person who has died with the permission of their family. There's been tears, anger and demands for answers at a vigil to mourn the death of Warlpirri man Kumanjayi White. The 24-year-old died in custody after being restrained in a supermarket by police officers. National Indigenous correspondent Carly Williams attended the sorry business ceremony in Alice Springs. Carly Williams: Grief and loss on the streets of Alice Springs. Loved ones of Kumanjayi White used gum leaves to sweep, a traditional Warlpirri sorry business custom. Elder Valerie Napaljarri-Martin says this finishing up protocol must be done where he took his last breath in an Alice Springs supermarket. Valerie Napaljarri Martin : Glance our spirit. I hope that we can get justice for this young fella. He was hungry. That's not a crime. Carly Williams: Mr White was accused of assaulting a security guard in the store and passed away after being restrained by police who were not wearing uniforms. Members of his family and community travelled hundreds of kilometres for Alice Springs' third vigil mourning the 24-year-old. Mr White's grandfather, Ned Jampinjimpa Hardgraves, was among hundreds there. Jampinjimpa Hardgraves: We want justice. Come on, say it with me. Justice. Carly Williams: He renewed calls for an independent investigation and the release of CCTV and body cam footage to the family. Jampinjimpa Hardgraves: We do not want police investigating and we want the two police to stand down. Carly Williams: Speaking in a budget estimates hearing on Tuesday, the acting police commissioner Martin Dole said the footage is an exhibit in the criminal investigation and its integrity needs to be maintained. Like thousands who have rallied across the country over the past week, Gurindji Yarramun man Michael Smith supported the family's requests. Michael Smith: We need to have an investigation, an independent one. Nobody's really listening. So I think the more people that show up and continue to keep supporting this, hopefully the people that do make those decisions will start listening to us for once. Carly Williams: Acting Commissioner Dole has ruled out an independent investigation. Martin Dole: That's not something we can just hand to somebody else. And if we were to bring in an independent investigator, they'd have to be sworn in as members of the Northern Territory Police Force in any case. Carly Williams: Grandmother and Warlpiri woman Lynette Tasman wants to know why Mr White, who lived with disabilities and in full-time residential care, became one of almost 600 Aboriginal deaths in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission. Lynette Tasman: Where are the carers? Carly Williams: Arrentre woman Barbara Shaw also questions the care services. Barbara Shaw: We're the only people who can care for our people. Service providers are not giving Aboriginal people a chance to take care of their own. Carly Williams: In a statement, Life Beyond Barriers said it was deeply saddened by this tragedy, but could not answer questions about any carers involved at the time. For Valerie Martin, the place of this Alice Springs vigil is sadly familiar. It's here that the Yuendumu community gathered for every one of the 66 days the Northern Territory coroner heard evidence in the inquest into the 2019 shooting of Kumanjayi Walker, another Warlpiri man who died in police custody. Valerie Napaljarri Martin : When are we going to have justice? Isabella Higgins: Warlpiri elder Valerie Napaljarri Martin ending that report by Carly Williams.
The Guardian
11-06-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘We won't give up': Kumanjayi White's family hold vigil demanding independent investigation
The lawns of the Alice Springs courthouse have once again become a scene of grief and rage, amid calls for an 'emergency intervention' following two Aboriginal deaths in custody in the Northern Territory in as many weeks. The family of 24-year-old Kumanjayi White, a Warlpiri man with disabilities who died after being restrained by police at a supermarket last month, held a vigil on Wednesday, reiterating their demands for an independent investigation, the release of CCTV footage, and for the officers involved to be stood down while the investigation proceeds. It was their third vigil since he died. 'Hear us when we say: we won't give up,' the man's grandfather, Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, told the crowd. 'We will fight for justice for our loved one. We will fight for justice for all yapa (Indigenous people) who have died in custody. Every single one.' Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email As hundreds rallied across the nation in solidarity with the Warlpiri community on Saturday, another Aboriginal man died in custody in Darwin. The 68-year-old from the remote community of Wadeye died in the ICU at Darwin hospital about a week after Australian federal police arrested him, following reports he was 'intoxicated' and unable to board a flight out of Darwin. Northern Territory police said the cause of death was undetermined, pending a postmortem examination. He has been remembered as a senior elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. One of the country's largest legal organisations, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, has since called for the federal government to stage an 'emergency intervention'. The organisation's acting chief executive, Anthony Beven, told the ABC the government should hold a forum with First Nations leaders and federal and NT authorities to address the effects of the punitive justice measures enacted by the CLP government. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Asked about the request at the National Press Club on Tuesday, the prime minister said he would 'need to be convinced that people in Canberra know better than the people in the Northern Territory to deal with these issues'. Meanwhile in the NT, police responded to persistent calls for Kumanjayi White's death to be investigated by an independent body. 'The Police Administration Act establishes the Northern Territory police force for the purpose of preventing, investigating and detecting crime, so that's not something we can just hand to somebody else,' the acting commissioner, Martin Dole, said on Tuesday. Warlpiri leader Karl Hampton, a spokesperson for White's family, said the response was 'just an excuse'. 'In terms of legislation, that can be amended,' he said. 'But my concern is that we see the territory at the moment in a flux, almost to the point of a crisis … the systems are broken in the Northern Territory.' Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
ABC News
08-06-2025
- ABC News
Dozens rally in Perth CBD in solidarity with nationwide protests against Indigenous deaths in custody
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article includes the name and image of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family. Dozens of people gathered in Perth's CBD for the third day of nationwide protests following the death of 24-year-old Kumanjayi White, who died in police custody in the Northern Territory last month. Mr White died after he was restrained on the floor of a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs. Perth rally organiser and Indigenous elder Hedley Hayward said the community was standing alongside the rest of the country in demanding justice. "In 1990 there were over 300 recommendations made for [preventing] Aboriginal deaths in custody, and it is still happening today … how many times is this still going to happen without something really being done about it?" Shannon Smith, whose 31-year-old brother Linton Ryan died in custody on April 2, joined protesters along with his mother and relatives. Mr Ryan was found unresponsive in his cell at Eastern Goldfields Regional Prison in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, 600 kilometres east of Perth. In a statement, WA's Department of Justice said, "preliminary reports indicate there were no suspicious circumstances". Mr Smith said his family was still waiting for answers from the mandatory coronial investigation. "We just want answers and we want closure, and we just don't want to keep guessing what happened," he said. "We want them to not make us wait three years for answers — because they haven't given us an apology, they haven't put anything in writing. "We just want pressure on the prison and pressure on the police to give us answers." Mr Smith said he didn't want his brother to just be another statistic. "He's a human being, and if this happens to everyday people, they [would also] feel the pain and the ramifications behind it. "We just want them to have understanding and compassion for me and my mum, because it's really hurtful — and I'm struggling to stand on my feet to be strong for Mum." Perth's rally was officially opened with a traditional smoking ceremony, before several speeches were made by Indigenous elders and loved ones of those who have died in custody. It followed several other rallies held across the nation over the past three days, including in Alice Springs, Sydney and Brisbane.
ABC News
07-06-2025
- ABC News
NT Police investigate another death in custody
Northern Territory Police say they're investigating another death in custody in Darwin, after a man died in hospital on Saturday afternoon. This comes as hundreds have rallied across the country, remembering the life of Kumanjayi White, who died in Alice Springs last week.
