Community unrest derails Kumanjayi Walker inquest

A ‘state of high conflict’ thwarts the first few days of a coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu.

The inquest into Kumanjayi Walker’s death is due to begin on 5 September expected to run for up to three months.

Community unrest and a “state of high conflict” have derailed plans to hold the first few days of a coronial inquest into the death of ­Kumanjayi Walker in the troubled outback Northern Territory community of Yuendumu.

The move comes after what The Australian understands has been elevated tension and episodic violence related to family feuding and incidents earlier this year.

Nineteen-year-old Walker was shot dead by Territory police constable Zachary Rolfe during a botched attempted arrest in November 2019. The shooting ­occurred in Yuendumu, 300km northwest of Alice Springs, during a struggle after Walker stabbed Constable Rolfe with scissors.

The policeman was charged with murder within days of the ­incident, but a jury acquitted him in March. The three-month ­inquest scheduled to begin on September 5 is expected to examine the circumstances that led to Walker’s death, including the conditions in Yuendumu and Constable Rolfe’s training and supervision.

Zachary Rolfe after he was found not guilty of all charges. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage announced in May that the first few days of hearings would take place in the community at the ­request of Walker’s family and local residents. Her court was told the inquest would look for evidence of “militarisation” and “systemic racism” in the NT Police Force and whether Constable Rolfe might have been suffering from a health condition or under the influence of drugs during the fatal incident.

But at another hearing on Monday, she heard members of Walker’s family no longer wanted the inquest to visit Yuendumu.

“The proposal was that the first few days of the inquest in Yuendumu be less formal so that Your Honour could just sit and listen to community members,” counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer told the court.

“Because that would not be formal evidence, community members would not be cross-examined, and it was felt that they could speak freely, and they could speak about how they felt.

“Recently, counsel assisting has been informed by lawyers for (Walker’s family and the wider community) that their position concerning the commencement of the inquest has changed. They now do not wish for the inquest to start in Yuendumu because of … unrest and difficulties currently being experienced in the community.”

Ms Dwyer said the community was “in a state of high conflict”, and Walker’s family would not feel comfortable having outsiders, including journalists, attend. Lawyers for the various family groups agreed with her assessment. A lawyer for the NT Police Force said his client was aware of the problems, adding that an initial ­incident had sparked follow-up incidents and heightened tension.

A source close to Yuendumu said the trouble was related to family rivalries involving two local groups and another from a community nearby. The source said tensions had been exacerbated when a man allegedly drove a vehicle into a group of people in a remote central Australian community in January. He was arrested and charged.

The source said social media posts related to the January incident had sparked further incidents in Alice Springs and elsewhere. The Australian understands the Yuendumu clinic now operates with full-time security, and a remote housing construction program was disrupted recently when an associated workers’ camp was trashed.

Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said the coronial “needs to happen, (and) it is up to the coroner on how this process is conducted. This investigation is independent”.

Spokespeople for the NT Police Force and the health and infrastructure departments had not ­replied to questions by the time of publication.