The Northern Territory's Aboriginal-led legal service says that while it welcomes the coronial findings into the police shooting of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, the recommendations do not go far enough.
Mr Walker, a Warlpiri-Luritja man, was shot three times by then-NT police officer Zachary Rolfe during a failed arrest in the remote community of Yuendumu, 300 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs. Mr Rolfe was later acquitted of both murder and manslaughter in March 2022 following a high-profile Supreme Court trial.
On Monday, Coroner Elisabeth Armitage delivered her long-awaited findings in Yuendumu, ruling Mr Walker's death in 2019 was avoidable, and criticising both the conduct and culture of NT Police before and during the attempted arrest.
"This was a case of officer-induced jeopardy," she said, describing it as a situation where "officers needlessly put themselves in danger, making themselves and others vulnerable and creating a situation that justifies the use of deadly force".
The 683-page report includes 32 recommendations. These range from reforming the NT Police complaints system, drastically limiting the use of high-powered weapons by officers, and increasing support for Yuendumu's night patrol, youth, and disability services, to improving developmental screening for children under five.
In response, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) said it was "disappointed" that Coroner Armitage did not recommend the creation of an independent oversight body to hold NT Police to account.
They said such a body is necessary "to deliver true accountability and transparency in cases of police misconduct towards Aboriginal people, and to drive structural change in the police force".
In her findings, Coroner Armitage noted there was "direct evidence of clearly racist comments made by Mr Rolfe, and between Mr Rolfe and his superiors".
"His racist messages were not mere aberrations. They were at least in part reflective of a work culture that tolerated racism," she said.
"Having considered all the evidence, including Mr Rolfe's explanations and justifications, I found that Mr Rolfe was racist and that he worked in, and was the beneficiary of, an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism."
NAAJA chairperson Theresa Roe acknowledged "the deep pain felt by Kumanjayi Walker's family and by the entire Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory".
"We stand with Kumanjayi Walker's family, community, and Yuendumu in their fight for truth and justice, and support the family's calls for police accountability," she said.
"Now is the time to stop, talk and focus on a better way forward."
NAAJA did endorse several of the coroner's key proposals, including Indigenous-led, on-Country programs; locally driven rehabilitation and diversion services for young people; and a co-designed 10-year plan for youth and young adults in Yuendumu, to be developed in partnership with elected community leaders or representatives and the NT Government.
"NAAJA has consistently called on the Northern Territory Government to sit down with Aboriginal leaders to discuss better ways to address community safety and improve the justice system, rather than just focus on incarceration," the statement said.
"The Coroner's findings provide an opportunity for this to occur as part of implementing the key recommendations. In the absence of active steps to act on these recommendations, Aboriginal people will continue to die in custody, on their country."
