Zach Rolfe found not guilty of fatally shooting Kumanjayi Walker

NT police officer Zachary Rolfe has been cleared of all charges over the shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu.

NT Police officer Zach Rolfe has been acquitted on all charges over the shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu in 2019, after jurors returned a unanimous not guilty verdict on Friday.

Constable Rolfe exchanged hugs with his lawyers and supporters and shook hands with his dad as his mum wiped away tears watching her son leave the dock, once more a free man.

Members of Mr Walker’s family left the courtroom quickly but outside were heard crying and wailing as they digested the verdict.

In his closing address on Wednesday, Constable Rolfe’s barrister, David Edwardson QC, had told the jury that each of three times his client pulled the trigger, he was acting in good faith, the reasonable performance of his duties and the defence of himself and his partner, Adam Eberl.

Rolfe enters NT Supreme Court for the jury decision. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“When Kumanjayi Walker deliberately and, I suggest, viciously, tried to stab both officers with potentially fatal consequences, the only appropriate response was to draw his firearm and pull the trigger, discharging each bullet into the seen body mass of Kumanjayi Walker until the threat was removed,” he said.

Mr Edwardson said the “flawed prosecution” had rested on what had happened in the 2.6 seconds after Constable Rolfe fired his first shot, which was not the subject of any charge.

“Constable Rolfe, having been stabbed by a known violent offender and having lawfully shot him once, was, we maintain, lawfully justified in continuing to defend his mate, and fellow police officer, who like him, was just doing his job,” he said.

Mr Edwardson said the jurors “might well be asking yourselves” why prosecutors appeared to be “pandering to the notion that police, specifically Zachary Rolfe”, should have treated Mr Walker “with kid gloves”.

Rolfe enters NT Supreme Court for the jury decision. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

“Let’s be brutally frank about this young man, the truth of the matter is that he had a lengthy and violent criminal record,” he said.

“He had deployed an axe in an extraordinarily dangerous and confronting manner, which of itself, would have justified him being shot on that occasion.

“In other words, those officers could have, in those circumstances, have taken a different response, and legitimately so.”

Mr Edwardson said “worst still” was that three days later, Mr Walker had again deployed another lethal weapon, a pair of scissors, “but this time, he stabbed Zachary Rolfe, before turning his attention to Constable Eberl”.

“He might be a young man, and for that reason, if nothing else, this case is tragic,” he said.

“But nonetheless, he was dangerous, he was violent, and in many respects, he was the author of his own misfortune.”

Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker has written to all members of the NT Police, informing them of the verdict, implementing a new operation, and reminding members of the rules around commenting on social media.

“Operation Jasper is in place to provide support to our people,” he said.

“The duty of the Northern Territory Police Force is to serve and protect our community.

“We will continue to do this with the highest level of professionalism.

“All members are reminded about the expected behaviours articulated in the Code of Conduct, including personal and media platforms and should refer to the Personal Use of Social Media Instruction.”

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