By Rebecca Peppiatt and Rachael Clifford
A WA Police officer has told a coronial inquest in Geraldton it was “instinct” that caused him to shoot a mentally ill Indigenous woman in 2019 after she was found walking alone along a street with a knife and pair of scissors.
First Class Constable Brent Wyndham gave evidence at day four of the inquest probing the death of 29-year-old JC, a Yamatji woman who had schizophrenia.
JC died in 2019 after she was shot by a WA Police officer.Credit: Nine News
A jury cleared him of murdering her in 2021.
The inquest has heard an internal police review board found Wyndham failed four times to follow WA Police policy that day.
Wyndham was found to have failed to have assessed proximity; failed to tactically disengage; failed to cordon and contain; and failed to negotiate with JC before he fatally shot her in the stomach.
On Thursday he told the court it never crossed his mind to consider any other option than shooting the woman, whom he claimed was “coming at him” with a large knife.
“Did it ever cross your mind that instead of firing you could have taken a step away?” he was asked by assisting counsel Rachael Young.
“No, it wouldn’t have done anything,” he replied.
“Did it ever cross your mind to run away from her?” Young asked.
“No, because she could stab me in the back,” he responded.
Young asked the officer whether it crossed his mind that she may not understand what was happening and that she may be mentally unwell.
Protestors lined the streets of Geraldton on Wednesday asking for justice for JC.Credit: Nine News Perth
He replied, “No”.
The court also heard Wyndham grew up in Geraldton and has an uncle who is Aboriginal, although does not identify as Indigenous himself.
Asked whether cultural awareness training assisted him with dealing with JC, he replied, “No, I treat everyone the same” and told the court he had done nothing wrong.
“Did you fail to assess the proximity?” he was asked.
“No,” he replied.
“That was one of the findings made by the Internal Affairs Unit,” Young said.
“Yes,” he responded.
But Wyndham went on to say that he “accepted” the result of the investigation.
He also claimed four police cars and eight officers were not enough resources to contain JC, which was why he shot her.
Constable Brent Wyndham is the officer who fatally shot JC.Credit: ABC News: Keane Bourke
“Was it a split-second decision to pull the trigger?” Young asked him.
“Yes,” he replied.
“You had no forms of communication with JC except to issue commands?” she asked.
“Yes,” he replied.
“Do you accept you didn’t say anything to try and understand why she was acting that way?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said.
“Do you accept you didn’t ask why she had a knife and scissors in her hands?” Young continued.
“Yes,” he said.
“Do you accept you may have been able to talk her off the ledge?” Young asked.
“No,” he replied.
The inquest continues.