Zachary Rolfe lodges complaint over the inquest that labelled him a racist

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage published her findings this month into the 2019 police shooting of Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker.

Former NT police officer Zachary Rolfe. Picture: Liam Mendes / The Australian

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Zachary Rolfe, the former Northern Territory police officer acquitted on all charges over the shooting death of Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker, has lodged an official complaint about coroner Elisabeth Armitage’s handling of the inquest that followed his criminal trial.

Judge Armitage this month published her findings into the 2019 shooting of Walker at a special outdoor hearing in the remote community where he died, Yuendumu.

In a verbal summary of her 618-page report and in the written report itself, Judge Armitage said: “Mr Rolfe was racist and he worked in and benefited from an organisation with the hallmarks of racism”.

Mr Rolfe’s complaint to the NT government’s judicial commissioner on Tuesday alleges Judge Armitage selectively pursued some investigative actions while omitting others, which he claims “demonstrate potential bias which may impact her findings”.

“Specifically, my complaint focuses on significant concerns surrounding her impartiality and the evident misuse of her position, which has resulted in significant public resources expenditure exceeding $11 million,” Mr Rolfe writes in his complaint seen by The Australian.

Mr Rolfe acknowledged he had used racist language while a police officer in Alice Springs. In evidence to the inquest, he said racist language was “normalised” in his workplace.

NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage in Yuendumu to deliver the findings into the Kumanjayi Walker inquest. Picture: Gera Kazakov

He presented evidence that NT Police’s most elite unit created a “coon of the year” award for officers who exhibited “the most coon like behaviour”.

In his complaint, Mr Rolfe pointed to Judge Armitage’s decision to deliver her findings in Yuendumu “rather than a neutral courtroom environment”.

He also said video of that day shows Judge Armitage was aware that she would be presenting her findings while sitting directly in front of a flag of Karrinjala Muwajarri, the collective that has called for Mr Rolfe to be retried in a criminal court and for him to be subjected to tribal punishment including spearing.