Nearly 80 lawyers from the Northern Territory have signed a letter to the NT government and NT Police calling for officers involved in the death in custody of Kumanjayi White to be stood down.
The letter, obtained by National Indigenous Times, says "transparency and accountability" are "essential" during the internal NT Police investigation into the death of the 24-year-old.
The Warlpiri man passed away after being restrained by two plain-clothed officers following an alleged altercation with a security guard at the Mparntwe/Alice Springs Coles Supermarket in May.
He was living with disabilities away from his Yuendumu community in supported accommodation at the time.
National Indigenous Times understands one of the officers involved in the death in custody is NT police prosecutor Steven Haig who has continued working at the Alice Springs Local Court.
Mr Haig has previously faced complaints of aggressive behaviour toward Indigenous youth workers and was accused of using excessive force during the arrest of a young Indigenous woman at the same Coles store where Mr White was restrained.
The letter from 79 NT legal practitioners, sent out on Friday afternoon is urging the NT Government to act on a three-point plan to safeguard "investigative integrity".
"Ensure appropriate internal and external oversight mechanisms are in place to conduct this investigation," it reads.
"Commit to timely, regular, and accessible procedural disclosure relating to this investigation.
"Take administrative steps to remove those officers involved from active duty while the investigation remains ongoing.
Last month, Mr White's family lodged Federal Court documents, according to reports from the ABC, seeking a declaration that the two officers involved "acted unlawfully" in apprehending Mr White and used force that contributed to his death.
Long-standing calls for justice
For months, Mr White's grandfather, respected elder Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, has been pushing for CCTV footage of the incident to be released to his family and for an independent investigation into his grandson's death in custody.
The young Warlpiri man's death this year sparked nationwide rallies and widespread support for his family's demands – which both the NT Police and the NT chief minister Lia Finocchiaro have previously rejected.
Mr Hagraves has now echoed another call from just a few years ago following the 2019 fatal police shooting of Warlpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu.
"We, the Warlpiri people, demand no guns on our land," he said.
"You must recognise the trauma you people, the occupying power, have inflicted on Aboriginal people.
"We need you to stop acting with criminal intent toward Aboriginal people."
In their letter to NT chief minister Lia Finocchiaro and Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole lawyers noted that three months on from the incident "little information is publicly available" around the circumstances of Mr White's death.
The letter also states there is not much information on "timeframes for investigation, measures being taken to ensure investigative integrity, and administrative steps being taken in relation to the officers involved".
"Kumanjayi White marks yet another Aboriginal death in custody in Central Australia, and this investigation must be conducted in a manner consistent with community expectations," the letter states.
"It is incumbent on government and police leadership to provide public assurance as to the process being followed."
Earlier this month, NT Police Acting Deputy Commissioner Travis Wurst said the criminal investigation into the death in custody was at an "advanced state."
In a recent statement, the NT Police reiterated that no officers had been stood down and no charges were laid while investigations continue.
The NT Government has been contacted for comment.
