A community says it has “had enough” of police after a coronial inquest into the death of an Indigenous teenager renewed allegations of racism.
Kumanjayi Walker was fatally shot by then-constable Zachary Rolfe in the community of Yuendumu in 2019.
In handing down her findings into the 19-year-old’s death, coroner Elisabeth Armitage said she found Mr Rolfe to be racist and the Northern Territory Police Force to have “the hallmarks of institutionalised racism”.
Mr Rolfe maintained in a statement issued by his lawyer on Tuesday that it “was never about race”.
Mr Walker’s family welcomed the coroner’s findings.
“When we heard the coroner say there was structural and entrenched racism in the NT Police Force, we felt validated as a family,” Mr Walker’s cousin Samara Fernandez-Brown said in Yuendumu on Tuesday
Ms Fernandez-Brown said she was grateful the coroner’s findings were handed down in the community, 300km from Alice Springs, on Monday.
But she said recommendations around police accountability in the NT were not strong enough.
“We heard countless evidence about how the police have been racist, how they have been violent and how they have used too much force when it comes to our people,” Ms Fernandez-Brown said.
The coroner’s findings were postponed after the death of another Warlpiri man, Kumanjayi White, who died in police custody in Alice Springs in May.
Mr White’s grandfather, senior Yuendumu Elder Ned Hargraves, said something must be done.
“We’ve had enough of these police,” he said.
“They are doing the biggest damage to our community … they have no shame whatsoever.”
NT Police Acting Commissioner Martin Dole said it was clear racism existed in the force.
“It is a truth that we must face. What was tolerated in the past will no longer be acceptable,” he said in Alice Springs.
Mr Dole said a decision to leave Yuendumu shortly after the findings were handed down was made after discussions with Elders.
His comments come after Mr Hargraves expressed his disappointment the commissioner left the community without speaking with him.
“I apologise that he feels that way,” Mr Dole said.
“I did have consultations with several of the Elders and we thought it best that meeting take place in future days.”
Mr Hargraves said he would be strongly against the commissioner returning to Yuendumu.
“I won’t talk to him again … I don’t want to,” he said.
The force’s cultural reform executive director Leanne Liddle said NT Police was working to rebuild trust through an anti-racism strategy.
Ms Fernandez-Brown said while she would like to remain optimistic about structural change, she wouldn’t “hold my breath” for that to come from within the NT police force.
“Asking the Northern Territory police force to become safe is unsustainable and a band-aid solution,” she said.
“I’d like to see a structure that replaces that altogether.”
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