Zach Rolfe trial: Cop’s father calls for removal of Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker

Zach Rolfe’s father has called for the immediate removal of the Territory’s top cop days after his son’s murder acquittal, but the Chief Minister has stood by Jamie Chalker.

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner referred to Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker as a “straight shooter” on radio while defending his performance in the job.

When asked by Mix 104.9’s Katie Woolf on Tuesday morning whether Mr Chalker should resign in the aftermath of the Rolfe trial, Mr Gunner said he backed the Police Commissioner.

It follows Constable Zach Rolfe being acquitted over the shooting death of Kumanjayi Walker on Friday.

When questioned by Ms Woolf as to whether the Police Commissioner should resign, Mr Gunner firstly expressed his “extreme sympathy and understanding for the dad (of Const. Rolfe)”.

He then went on to say that Mr Chalker enjoyed his confidence.

“He has my full support, Jamie Chalker is an absolute straight shooter,” Mr Gunner said.

“Going 59 in a 60 zone is too fast for Jamie.

“I work very closely with him on a number of things, particularly Covid. I think he’s an outstanding police commissioner.”

Mr Gunner’s defence comes after Const. Rolfe’s father called for Mr Chalker to resign on Monday.

Zach Rolfe trial: Cop’s father calls for removal of Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker

ZACH Rolfe’s father has called for the immediate removal of the Territory’s top cop days after his son’s murder acquittal.

Richard Rolfe said following his family’s two year and four month ordeal Jamie Chalker should either be sacked or resigned from his role as the NT’s Police Commissioner.

Mr Rolfe said his son and his family had never heard from the Police Commissioner to check on their welfare in the high-profile murder trial.

“We have never, ever heard from one of his (Chalker’s) current commissioned officers to check on the welfare of Zach or his family,” his father said.

Mr Rolfe said his son’s hearing was the “most important murder trial in the country”, causing divisions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Territorians, police and community and internal splits between officers.

Mr Rofle alleged during the height of the trial, when emotions were at their highest in the final week of his son’s murder trial, Mr Chalker was at an interstate golf tournament.

“A true leader would be there to look after their staff,” he said.

Mr Rolfe said his family had returned to Canberra in the wake of the trial.

Mr Chalker did not respond to questions over his contact with the Rolfe family or about resignations within the investigative team.

Rolfe and family leaves the Supreme Court as the jury deliberates. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

He did not acknowledge calls for his resignation, but said he was “proud of our people and I am proud to be the Commissioner of Police”.

NTPA president Paul McCue was asked if the Police Commissioner still had the support of the rank and file police members.

“Obviously the following this trial outcome our intention is to go and talk to as many as we can.

“We’ll be holding meetings throughout the Northern Territory, having a chat with them seeing how they’re feeling.

“Obviously it’s very raw at the moment.”

He did not go as far as to call for Mr Chalker’s resignation, saying “there’s a lot of emotion at the moment”. Mr McCue said he had not spoken to Mr Chalker since the verdict and was “keen” to do so.

The union boss said he was disappointed in the Police Commissioner’s press conference in the wake of the Rolfe verdict.

“To be frank we’ve had a lot of negative feedback … he didn’t really address anything in relation to the trial itself or Constable Rolfe,” he said.

Mr McCue said interstate investigators would have avoided “pitting” Territory officers against each other.

“And in our view, it placed a lot of those investigators in an extremely difficult positions and it could have been avoided had,” Mr McCue said.

“That is not a healthy environment for such a small police force.”