The police officer who fatally shot Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker in 2019 was found to be "racist," according to a damning coroner's inquest. Kumanjayi Walker, just 19 years old, died shortly after being shot three times at close range by Constable Zachary Rolfe during a home arrest in the isolated Indigenous community of Yuendumu, Northern Territory. Rolfe, who is no longer serving in the police force, was previously charged with Walker's murder but was acquitted in 2022, leading to widespread protests focused on Indigenous deaths in custody.
The inquest's findings, delivered by Judge Elisabeth Armitage during an open-air presentation in Yuendumu, indicated that Walker's death was "avoidable," citing "clear evidence of entrenched, systemic and structural racism" within the police force in NT. Over 600 pages of findings concluded that Rolfe should not be seen as merely "one bad apple," revealing that racist behavior and language had become normalized within the Alice Springs police station.
Although Judge Armitage could not definitively connect Rolfe's racist attitudes to Walker's death, she acknowledged that it was a possible factor. Additionally, she highlighted Rolfe's "derisive attitudes" toward female colleagues and his disdain for local officers as contributing to his actions leading up to the shooting.
Walker was a "vulnerable teenager" with a troubled background and poor impulse control, and police had previously been warned of potential dangers. The incident unfolded when Rolfe, intending to arrest Walker for breaching a court order, encountered resistance shortly after arriving at Walker's home, resulting in a scuffle. The situation escalated when Walker allegedly stabbed Rolfe with scissors, leading Rolfe to fire a shot, followed by two more rounds deemed unnecessary by prosecutors.
The inquest accused Rolfe of making "flawed decisions" that put officers in unnecessary danger, fostering a situation justifying deadly force. Judge Armitage attributed Rolfe's inclination to adrenaline-fueled scenarios to his background as a soldier and criticized his dismissal of a pre-established arrest plan. Following the shooting, Walker was treated inadequately, being dragged from the house before receiving first aid, an act deemed disrespectful by Judge Armitage.
As a result of the findings, Judge Armitage issued 32 recommendations aimed at reducing potential harms, such as limiting police firearms use in Yuendumu and enhancing anti-racism initiatives within the police force. Chairing the presentation, she expressed her condolences to Walker's family, who called the report's contents overwhelming but reflective of their concerns.
In a response, the Northern Territory Police described the inquest as a difficult journey and affirmed their commitment to implementing learned lessons moving forward, acknowledging the complexities of the case, which stems from an ongoing requirement in NT law for investigations into all deaths in custody.
