Chief Minister’s comments spark outrage with NT police

UPDATE: An outraged NT Police Association boss Paul McCue has said he asked Chief Minister Michael Gunner to withdrawn comments about the fatal Yuendumu shooting but Mr Gunner said he was “overreacting”.

The police officer who shot Kumanjayi Walker wearing a bullet proof vest enters the Alice Springs Hospital after an Royal Flying Doctors Plane landed from Yuendumu on Saturday night. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

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Chief Minister Michael Gunner has outraged Northern Territory police who have demanded he withdraw “damaging and inappropriate” comments made during a meeting with community leaders at Yuendumu on Tuesday.

The peak body representing police, the Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA), said its members are disgusted at the inference the Chief Minister’s comments draw with respect to the actions of police on the night a local teen, Kumanjayi Walker’s shooting death.

Kumanjayi Walker, 19, was shot and killed by a police officer in the remote Central Australian community of Yuendumu on Saturday. Picture: Facebook

NTPA head Paul McCue referred specifically to Mr Gunner’s address to a crowd in Yuendumu in relation to the critical incident last Saturday night where he quoted the Chief Minister as saying “I can promise you that investigation will be independent and the consequences will flow as a result of that investigation”, when referring to an independent Coroner’s investigation.

The Chief Minister has since hit back saying Mr McCue was overreacting.

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Mr McCue said he had a phone discussion with the Chief Minister on Tuesday night expressing his concerns and asked the Chief Minister to withdraw his comments and clarify the intent of his comments.

“That hasn’t been forthcoming,” he said. “Northern Territory police officers have made it quite clear that they are not happy with his comments and a simple clarification and withdrawal of it would have been appropriate.”

He said his understanding from the discussion is that the Chief Minister has no intention of retracting his comments.

“When you make a comment that consequences will flow that indicates there may have been some error done,” Mr McCue said.

He said there is nothing impartial about that statement, and the Chief Minister should neither assume, nor comment on behalf of any investigation, as it is with the Coroner.

“Our members are disgusted at the inference this comment draws with respect to the actions of police on the night of the incident,” Mr McCue said.

“The Chief Minister’s comments completely undermine the investigation that is properly

underway at the moment.

NT Police Association president Paul McCue said the Chief Minister’s comments question the integrity of the police involved in the shooting. Picture: EMMA MURRAY

“Mr Gunner neither witnessed the incident, nor was privy to sensitive matters crucial to the investigation in the early stages, so his comments are unfounded and appear to be based purely on the need to satisfy an audience.

“While we completely understand the sensitivities involved in this matter, comments such as these from the Chief Minister do nothing but question the integrity of the members involved.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner, with former NT Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw. Mr Gunner’s comments have angered the police.

“The public is being encouraged not to pre-empt the outcome of the investigation and we’d expect the same, at the very least, from the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.”

Police Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison defended the Chief Minister and accused the Police Association of taking the comments out of context.

“I’m disappointed they have put this out there,” Ms Manison said.

“It’s not helpful to do this right now.

“We support our police, but we also have to support people on the ground in Yuendumu.

“I was alongside the Chief Minister and he was making a general comment in the context of an investigation.

“He was making factual statements on the process.”

Ms Manison said she left Tuesday’s Yuendumu meeting with a feeling that there is broken trust among members of the community.

“But there are those who still want police on the ground, which is why calm remains,” she said.

Mr McCue also called for calm in the wake of “vile” comments directed at police on social media.

“Many of our police have been subject to some pretty vile comments through social media and people need to be calm and respect the work police do,” he said.

“It’s a fairly tense time here in Alice Springs. We need to take our hat off to the police and the work they are doing, they are working with the community despite the comments that are coming their way.

“Commentary one way or the other needs to be refrained and allow the Commissioner of Police to make comments on the investigation only. “