Warning: The following content contains the name and image of an Indigenous person who has passed away and may be distressing for some readers.
A new true crime series from SBS and NITV, 2.6 Seconds: Death In The Outback , examines the 2019 death of Kumanjayi Walker, a 19-year-old Warlpiri Luritja teenager.
In line with a recommendation from the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, his death in custody was the subject of a coronial inquest, led by the NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage.
Judge Armitage's final report runs more than 600 pages .
It is a landmark work, the scope of which can only be appreciated by reading it in its entirety; notwithstanding, here are some of its key findings and recommendations.
The most significant finding was that Kumanjayi Walker's death "was avoidable".
It was a case of "officer induced jeopardy", a situation where an officer makes themselves and others vulnerable by "needlessly [putting] themselves in danger"; Rolfe's "flawed decisions ... significantly increased the risk of a fatal interaction with a member of the public.”
Rolfe abandoned a plan, developed in collaboration with senior and community officers, to safely find and arrest Kumanjayi. His sense of "superiority" likely contributed to this decision, the coroner found.
Armitage also determined that Rolfe was racist, and that his racist attitudes "may have influenced (consciously or unconsciously) his failure ... to minimise the risk of a fatal interaction" with Kumanjayi.
In the opening paragraphs of her report, Judge Armitage writes that one of its goals is to "[prevent] another family from experiencing the type of grief that Kumanjayi’s family has endured".
"It is my sincere hope that the completion of this process and the handing down of these Findings will help to prevent a similar tragedy," she writes.
She also points out that she believes police are entitled to "lawfully defend themselves against serious attacks".
"In fact, an important aim of these Findings is to make recommendations to reduce the risk of serious attacks – or any attacks – upon Police ..."
Directed at the Northern Territory Government, NT Police and NT Health, the recommendations pair a push for community-led solutions in Yuendumu with a call for deep change inside the police force.
The report made 33 recommendations, including:
Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Community Development; Attorney-General; and other relevant Ministers
After critical incidents and welfare
Abbreviations used above: ALO = Aboriginal Liaison Officer; ACPO = Aboriginal Community Police Officer; PSC = Professional Standards Command; CRC = Cultural Reform Command; LHAG = Local Health Advisory Group.
2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback premieres Tuesday 10 November at 8:30pm on SBS and NITV, and is available on SBS On Demand after broadcast.
