Latest news with #NTNews
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Family wants footage of police death in custody
The family of a young Aboriginal man who died after being forcibly restrained by police officers wants footage of the incident to be released to them so they can understand what happened. The incident could lead to the postponement of the Northern Territory coroner's release of findings into the notorious police shooting death of Indigenous teen Kumanjayi Walker in an outback town in 2019. A mentally disabled 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers on Tuesday, following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The man was handcuffed but lost consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards at Alice Springs Hospital. A woman who witnessed the incident told the NT News one of the officers "had his knee behind his head". An autopsy on Wednesday did not determine the cause of death, police have said, and CCTV and security guard body-worn camera footage is being viewed. The young man's grandfather, Yuendumu elder and Warlpiri man Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, said the family was "in the dark about what really happened" and he had asked his lawyer for access to the footage. "Family representatives need to see all available footage of this incident immediately - both CCTV and body cam so we can understand what happened to my jaja (grandson)," he said. The man's death has prompted his original home community of Yuendumu to consider postponing a June 10 visit by Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage to announce her findings into the 2019. Mr Walker was fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the 19-year-old's death in 2022. Mr Hargraves said the community was talking about postponing the June 10 event "because of all these troubles happening right now, it's too much". "We are terrified. We are shattered. We are frustrated. This is happening again and again,'' he told AAP. "They (police) are saying they want to come and say sorry to us - no. We can't go on saying sorry, sorry, sorry." Mr Hargraves said his grandson was a "skinny bloke" who had excess pressure put on him. He referred to the case of Black American George Floyd, who died after being held to the ground with a Minneapolis police officer's knee on his neck in 2020. "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate?" Mr Hargraves said. "We cannot tolerate this situation, with continued brutality and lack of respect." The dead man is understood to have been under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst has offered his condolences to the family. He said police would investigate the incident "with an objective lens". Indigenous Australians Minister and NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said it was devastating news that a man "just searching for some food" had died and she had talked to the family to express her sympathy. She said the Yuendumu community had gone through a traumatic time after Mr Walker's death and the latest loss heightened concerns over keeping calm in the community on all sides. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
West Australian
6 days ago
- West Australian
Family wants footage of police death in custody
The family of a young Aboriginal man who died after being forcibly restrained by police officers wants footage of the incident to be released to them so they can understand what happened. The incident could lead to the postponement of the Northern Territory coroner's release of findings into the notorious police shooting death of Indigenous teen Kumanjayi Walker in an outback town in 2019. A mentally disabled 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers on Tuesday, following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The man was handcuffed but lost consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards at Alice Springs Hospital. A woman who witnessed the incident told the NT News one of the officers "had his knee behind his head". An autopsy on Wednesday did not determine the cause of death, police have said, and CCTV and security guard body-worn camera footage is being viewed. The young man's grandfather, Yuendumu elder and Warlpiri man Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, said the family was "in the dark about what really happened" and he had asked his lawyer for access to the footage. "Family representatives need to see all available footage of this incident immediately - both CCTV and body cam so we can understand what happened to my jaja (grandson)," he said. The man's death has prompted his original home community of Yuendumu to consider postponing a June 10 visit by Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage to announce her findings into the 2019. Mr Walker was fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the 19-year-old's death in 2022. Mr Hargraves said the community was talking about postponing the June 10 event "because of all these troubles happening right now, it's too much". "We are terrified. We are shattered. We are frustrated. This is happening again and again,'' he told AAP. "They (police) are saying they want to come and say sorry to us - no. We can't go on saying sorry, sorry, sorry." Mr Hargraves said his grandson was a "skinny bloke" who had excess pressure put on him. He referred to the case of Black American George Floyd, who died after being held to the ground with a Minneapolis police officer's knee on his neck in 2020. "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate?" Mr Hargraves said. "We cannot tolerate this situation, with continued brutality and lack of respect." The dead man is understood to have been under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst has offered his condolences to the family. He said police would investigate the incident "with an objective lens". Indigenous Australians Minister and NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said it was devastating news that a man "just searching for some food" had died and she had talked to the family to express her sympathy. She said the Yuendumu community had gone through a traumatic time after Mr Walker's death and the latest loss heightened concerns over keeping calm in the community on all sides. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Perth Now
Family wants footage of police death in custody
The family of a young Aboriginal man who died after being forcibly restrained by police officers wants footage of the incident to be released to them so they can understand what happened. The incident could lead to the postponement of the Northern Territory coroner's release of findings into the notorious police shooting death of Indigenous teen Kumanjayi Walker in an outback town in 2019. A mentally disabled 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers on Tuesday, following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The man was handcuffed but lost consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly afterwards at Alice Springs Hospital. A woman who witnessed the incident told the NT News one of the officers "had his knee behind his head". An autopsy on Wednesday did not determine the cause of death, police have said, and CCTV and security guard body-worn camera footage is being viewed. The young man's grandfather, Yuendumu elder and Warlpiri man Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, said the family was "in the dark about what really happened" and he had asked his lawyer for access to the footage. "Family representatives need to see all available footage of this incident immediately - both CCTV and body cam so we can understand what happened to my jaja (grandson)," he said. The man's death has prompted his original home community of Yuendumu to consider postponing a June 10 visit by Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage to announce her findings into the 2019. Mr Walker was fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the 19-year-old's death in 2022. Mr Hargraves said the community was talking about postponing the June 10 event "because of all these troubles happening right now, it's too much". "We are terrified. We are shattered. We are frustrated. This is happening again and again,'' he told AAP. "They (police) are saying they want to come and say sorry to us - no. We can't go on saying sorry, sorry, sorry." Mr Hargraves said his grandson was a "skinny bloke" who had excess pressure put on him. He referred to the case of Black American George Floyd, who died after being held to the ground with a Minneapolis police officer's knee on his neck in 2020. "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate?" Mr Hargraves said. "We cannot tolerate this situation, with continued brutality and lack of respect." The dead man is understood to have been under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst has offered his condolences to the family. He said police would investigate the incident "with an objective lens". Indigenous Australians Minister and NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said it was devastating news that a man "just searching for some food" had died and she had talked to the family to express her sympathy. She said the Yuendumu community had gone through a traumatic time after Mr Walker's death and the latest loss heightened concerns over keeping calm in the community on all sides. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636
The Advertiser
7 days ago
- The Advertiser
Officer's knee behind head before man's death: witness
A young and disabled Aboriginal man has died after being restrained by police in a supermarket, with a witness saying one officer's "knee was behind his head". The 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The two Northern Territory officers were in the Coles supermarket about 1.10pm on Tuesday when they were alerted to a confrontation between the man and security guards in the confectionary section. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst told reporters on Wednesday the man was "taken to the ground" where he remained for a number of minutes before general duties officers arrived and handcuffed him. At that time it was determined he had lost consciousness so the handcuffs were removed and first aid, including CPR, was immediately administered. The man, understood to be disabled, under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan, was taken to Alice Springs Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 2.20pm. Mr Wurst said an autopsy had been completed but the cause of death was still undetermined and a report would be prepared for the coroner. "The police will continue to investigate this matter with an objective lens," he said. In a statement on Wednesday evening NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the incident was subject to formal investigation. "My thoughts are with the family of the man who passed away," she said. A woman who witnessed the incident but asked not to be named told the NT News: "There was an Aboriginal man on the floor and a police officer had his knee behind his head". The man's friends were calling out "this fella has a disability, he's disabled, just be a bit more careful", she said. "And then all of a sudden he started fitting on the ground, like he was having a seizure." Another witness, who also asked not to be named, told the ABC they saw "a big white man" grabbing an Aboriginal man in a hold. "It looked pretty violent and then they slammed him to the ground." A senior relative of the man said in a statement his Warlpiri people were devastated by the death and angry that another young man had "lost his life at the hands of the police". "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate? "Why was he there alone, where were the carers who were supposed to be responsible for him?" Outspoken senator Lidia Thorpe said it was yet another case of "brutal force" used against Indigenous people. "He was hungry and he needed care. Instead, he was met with brutal force," she said in a statement. "This is not an isolated tragedy - it's part of a brutal pattern where our people die at the hands of police and in prisons. We won't stop speaking out until it ends." Amnesty International Australia called for an investigation to be conducted independently from NT Police to "ensure impartiality and to maintain public confidence in the process". "The death of yet another young Aboriginal person in police custody is unacceptable and demands immediate action," a spokesperson for the organisation said. The First Peoples Disability Network said the death highlighted "the increasing criminalisation of disability" and exposed failings with the guardianship system and the NDIS. Mr Wurst confirmed the man was originally from the outback town of Yuendumu and a police cultural team was working to "understand the community sentiment" and provide information to the family. The NT coroner is due in Yuendumu on June 10 to deliver her findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019 during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the death in 2022. Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, records show 593 Indigenous people have died in custody. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A young and disabled Aboriginal man has died after being restrained by police in a supermarket, with a witness saying one officer's "knee was behind his head". The 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The two Northern Territory officers were in the Coles supermarket about 1.10pm on Tuesday when they were alerted to a confrontation between the man and security guards in the confectionary section. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst told reporters on Wednesday the man was "taken to the ground" where he remained for a number of minutes before general duties officers arrived and handcuffed him. At that time it was determined he had lost consciousness so the handcuffs were removed and first aid, including CPR, was immediately administered. The man, understood to be disabled, under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan, was taken to Alice Springs Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 2.20pm. Mr Wurst said an autopsy had been completed but the cause of death was still undetermined and a report would be prepared for the coroner. "The police will continue to investigate this matter with an objective lens," he said. In a statement on Wednesday evening NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the incident was subject to formal investigation. "My thoughts are with the family of the man who passed away," she said. A woman who witnessed the incident but asked not to be named told the NT News: "There was an Aboriginal man on the floor and a police officer had his knee behind his head". The man's friends were calling out "this fella has a disability, he's disabled, just be a bit more careful", she said. "And then all of a sudden he started fitting on the ground, like he was having a seizure." Another witness, who also asked not to be named, told the ABC they saw "a big white man" grabbing an Aboriginal man in a hold. "It looked pretty violent and then they slammed him to the ground." A senior relative of the man said in a statement his Warlpiri people were devastated by the death and angry that another young man had "lost his life at the hands of the police". "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate? "Why was he there alone, where were the carers who were supposed to be responsible for him?" Outspoken senator Lidia Thorpe said it was yet another case of "brutal force" used against Indigenous people. "He was hungry and he needed care. Instead, he was met with brutal force," she said in a statement. "This is not an isolated tragedy - it's part of a brutal pattern where our people die at the hands of police and in prisons. We won't stop speaking out until it ends." Amnesty International Australia called for an investigation to be conducted independently from NT Police to "ensure impartiality and to maintain public confidence in the process". "The death of yet another young Aboriginal person in police custody is unacceptable and demands immediate action," a spokesperson for the organisation said. The First Peoples Disability Network said the death highlighted "the increasing criminalisation of disability" and exposed failings with the guardianship system and the NDIS. Mr Wurst confirmed the man was originally from the outback town of Yuendumu and a police cultural team was working to "understand the community sentiment" and provide information to the family. The NT coroner is due in Yuendumu on June 10 to deliver her findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019 during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the death in 2022. Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, records show 593 Indigenous people have died in custody. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A young and disabled Aboriginal man has died after being restrained by police in a supermarket, with a witness saying one officer's "knee was behind his head". The 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The two Northern Territory officers were in the Coles supermarket about 1.10pm on Tuesday when they were alerted to a confrontation between the man and security guards in the confectionary section. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst told reporters on Wednesday the man was "taken to the ground" where he remained for a number of minutes before general duties officers arrived and handcuffed him. At that time it was determined he had lost consciousness so the handcuffs were removed and first aid, including CPR, was immediately administered. The man, understood to be disabled, under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan, was taken to Alice Springs Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 2.20pm. Mr Wurst said an autopsy had been completed but the cause of death was still undetermined and a report would be prepared for the coroner. "The police will continue to investigate this matter with an objective lens," he said. In a statement on Wednesday evening NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the incident was subject to formal investigation. "My thoughts are with the family of the man who passed away," she said. A woman who witnessed the incident but asked not to be named told the NT News: "There was an Aboriginal man on the floor and a police officer had his knee behind his head". The man's friends were calling out "this fella has a disability, he's disabled, just be a bit more careful", she said. "And then all of a sudden he started fitting on the ground, like he was having a seizure." Another witness, who also asked not to be named, told the ABC they saw "a big white man" grabbing an Aboriginal man in a hold. "It looked pretty violent and then they slammed him to the ground." A senior relative of the man said in a statement his Warlpiri people were devastated by the death and angry that another young man had "lost his life at the hands of the police". "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate? "Why was he there alone, where were the carers who were supposed to be responsible for him?" Outspoken senator Lidia Thorpe said it was yet another case of "brutal force" used against Indigenous people. "He was hungry and he needed care. Instead, he was met with brutal force," she said in a statement. "This is not an isolated tragedy - it's part of a brutal pattern where our people die at the hands of police and in prisons. We won't stop speaking out until it ends." Amnesty International Australia called for an investigation to be conducted independently from NT Police to "ensure impartiality and to maintain public confidence in the process". "The death of yet another young Aboriginal person in police custody is unacceptable and demands immediate action," a spokesperson for the organisation said. The First Peoples Disability Network said the death highlighted "the increasing criminalisation of disability" and exposed failings with the guardianship system and the NDIS. Mr Wurst confirmed the man was originally from the outback town of Yuendumu and a police cultural team was working to "understand the community sentiment" and provide information to the family. The NT coroner is due in Yuendumu on June 10 to deliver her findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019 during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the death in 2022. Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, records show 593 Indigenous people have died in custody. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 A young and disabled Aboriginal man has died after being restrained by police in a supermarket, with a witness saying one officer's "knee was behind his head". The 24-year-old was forced to the floor by two plain-clothes officers following an alleged shoplifting incident and assault on a security guard in Alice Springs. The two Northern Territory officers were in the Coles supermarket about 1.10pm on Tuesday when they were alerted to a confrontation between the man and security guards in the confectionary section. Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst told reporters on Wednesday the man was "taken to the ground" where he remained for a number of minutes before general duties officers arrived and handcuffed him. At that time it was determined he had lost consciousness so the handcuffs were removed and first aid, including CPR, was immediately administered. The man, understood to be disabled, under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan, was taken to Alice Springs Hospital where he was pronounced dead about 2.20pm. Mr Wurst said an autopsy had been completed but the cause of death was still undetermined and a report would be prepared for the coroner. "The police will continue to investigate this matter with an objective lens," he said. In a statement on Wednesday evening NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the incident was subject to formal investigation. "My thoughts are with the family of the man who passed away," she said. A woman who witnessed the incident but asked not to be named told the NT News: "There was an Aboriginal man on the floor and a police officer had his knee behind his head". The man's friends were calling out "this fella has a disability, he's disabled, just be a bit more careful", she said. "And then all of a sudden he started fitting on the ground, like he was having a seizure." Another witness, who also asked not to be named, told the ABC they saw "a big white man" grabbing an Aboriginal man in a hold. "It looked pretty violent and then they slammed him to the ground." A senior relative of the man said in a statement his Warlpiri people were devastated by the death and angry that another young man had "lost his life at the hands of the police". "What are the police doing using such force on a vulnerable young man in a supermarket? Did they even try to de-escalate? "Why was he there alone, where were the carers who were supposed to be responsible for him?" Outspoken senator Lidia Thorpe said it was yet another case of "brutal force" used against Indigenous people. "He was hungry and he needed care. Instead, he was met with brutal force," she said in a statement. "This is not an isolated tragedy - it's part of a brutal pattern where our people die at the hands of police and in prisons. We won't stop speaking out until it ends." Amnesty International Australia called for an investigation to be conducted independently from NT Police to "ensure impartiality and to maintain public confidence in the process". "The death of yet another young Aboriginal person in police custody is unacceptable and demands immediate action," a spokesperson for the organisation said. The First Peoples Disability Network said the death highlighted "the increasing criminalisation of disability" and exposed failings with the guardianship system and the NDIS. Mr Wurst confirmed the man was originally from the outback town of Yuendumu and a police cultural team was working to "understand the community sentiment" and provide information to the family. The NT coroner is due in Yuendumu on June 10 to deliver her findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, fatally shot by then NT police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019 during a bungled arrest. Mr Rolfe was found not guilty on all charges over the death in 2022. Since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, records show 593 Indigenous people have died in custody. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
Perth Now
26-05-2025
- Perth Now
Aussie arrested over cocaine in Bali
Not Supplied Credit: News Corp Australia A man has been arrested by Bali police for allegedly trying to smuggle 1.5kg of cocaine into Indonesia. The man was apprehended by the drug squad in an apartment in Canggu, south Indonesia, on Thursday. An Australian man has been arrested after allegedly trying to smuggle cocaine into Bali. NewsWire / Monique Harmer Credit: News Corp Australia The NT News reports the man received a suspicious package from Thailand, with police allegedly locating the illicit substances after conducting an X-ray on the package upon arrival in the country. NewsWire has contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs for comment. More to come
