'This was never about race': Zachary Rolfe rejects inquest findings as Warlpiri call for peace

SBS Australia

5 days ago

Warning: this article contains distressing and violent content and the name of an Aboriginal person who has died. Zachary Rolfe has defended himself against scathing coronial inquest criticism that he was racist and that there is a risk that this racism affected his interactions with the community of Yuendumu on the day he shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker. On Monday Coroner Elisabeth Armitage travelled to the Yuendumu community to hand down the report finalising the coronial inquest.
Rolfe fatally shot 19-year-old Warlpiri-Luritja man, Kumanjayi Walker, during an attempted arrest in Yuendumu on November 9, 2019.
The inquest commenced in September 2022 after the six-week jury trial that acquitted the former Northern Territory police officer of all charges, finding he acted in self-defence and in line with his police training. Judge Armitage outlined 32 recommendations, finding that Rolfe was racist and that she could not exclude the possibility that his attitudes played an integral role in the teenager's death. She said she was satisfied that on at least five occasions prior to Kumanjayi's death Rolfe used unnecessary force and that there were other occasions in which force was avoidable. "There were instances where Mr Rolfe used force without proper regard for the risk of injury to persons, all of whom were Aboriginal boys or men, and significant injuries were caused to suspects because of his use of force," she said.
The coroner said he sought out situations in which force was necessary because he "found combat situations exhilarating and had an interest in adrenaline-style policing".
Rolfe 'entitled to the presumption of innocence' Rolfe's lawyers, Tindall Gask Bentley Lawyers, released a statement on his behalf, saying that he is "entitled to the presumption of innocence that follows the not guilty verdict".
They said Rolfe "does not accept" any findings inconsistent with his acquittal particularly those relating to his conduct on November 9, 2019, or the finding that "he subverted Sergeant Frost and instituted his own plan".
He also denied criticism that he acted outside of his operational safety training, and ignored training. "Constable Rolfe was violently stabbed despite his polite and calm disposition – all of which is self-evident from the body worn video that he wore when this incident occurred," they said. "The evidence was that it was not a minor injury, it could have been lethal."
The lawyers criticised the inquest for its "focus" on Rolfe's training.
Insofar as some may hold a view to the contrary, this was never about race. 'Far beyond her remit' The lawyers were critical of Coroner Armitage's findings, saying that some of them "do not sit well" with the jury's verdict at the trial. They also questioned the proper scope of a coronial inquest, saying they can become "a roving royal commission" without appropriate regulation and accused Judge Armitage of going beyond her duties.
"The true purpose of a coronial inquest is to establish the cause and circumstances of death, and in this case the Coroner went far beyond her remit."
Addressing racism in the NT Police In handing down her findings, Judge Armitage took aim at the Northern Territory Police Force, directing 18 recommendations at the institution. She noted "all forms of racism" were present in the NT Police "at various times" and requested their anti-racism strategy be bolstered and made public. "The NT police force must take steps through its training, supervision, culture and leadership to ensure racist attitudes do not develop and, if they do, they are identified and corrected and are not tolerated or condoned," she said.
"Concerning racism, there was direct evidence of clearly racist comments made by Mr Rolfe and between Mr Rolfe and his superiors in the lead up to Kumanjayi's death, ... text messages that ... contained extremely racist names and references to Aboriginal people."
Northern Territory Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole described the findings as "confronting". "It is a truth that we must face. What was tolerated in the past will no longer be acceptable," he told media on Tuesday. "We are committed to stamping out racism in all its forms, and making this a safer, fairer organisation for everybody." He did not comment on whether the institution would accept the related recommendations but said they "deserve to be considered properly, thoroughly and with the seriousness that they warrant".
"Our response will take time because it must be meaningful and enduring," he said.
NT Police acting commissioner Martin Dole speaks to Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, senior Warlpiri Elder in Yuendumu, Northern Territory, Monday, July 7th, 2025. Source: AAP / Keira Jenkins/AAP Image 'We felt like racism killed Kumanjayi' Family members of Kumanjayi Walker have called on the Northern Territory Police for a ceasefire in response to the Coroner's report. "In future when we work with the police, it needs to be two ways of working and understanding," said Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, senior Warlpiri Elder from Yuendumu. "The First Nations, Indigenous people, we have the first solution and we need to take back our rights, our rights to run the community and to have peace."
Uncle Ned said the findings relating to racism were truth.
The coroner talked about the racists in the Northern Territory today – she has told the truth. Kumanjayi Walker's cousin, Samara Fernandez-Brown, said while the coronial inquest was traumatising, the family have found some closure. "We've heard things throughout the inquest that have broken our hearts," she said. "But, when we heard the coroner say that there was structural and entrenched racism in the NT police, we felt validated as a family, because to us, we felt like racism killed Kumanjayi."
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