Latest news with #NgarlawanggaYamatjiMartu
The Guardian
4 hours ago
- The Guardian
WA police who shot dead Aboriginal woman did not make meaningful attempts to de-escalate, coroner finds
Police were not sufficiently trained and did not make meaningful attempts to de-escalate the situation before fatally shooting an Aboriginal woman in a Geraldton street in 2019, a Western Australian coroner has found. The death of the 29-year-old Ngarlawangga Yamatji Martu woman, known as JC for cultural reasons, was preventable, and more needed to be done 'to bring about actual change and improve relations as between the WA Police and Aboriginal communities', the coroner, Ros Fogliani, said in her determination, which was released on Thursday. Her nine recommendations included that police, in consultation with Aboriginal people, establish a section or branch 'dedicated to improving the relationship between WA Police and Aboriginal persons' and regular, face-to-face, co-designed Aboriginal cultural awareness training, tailored by region. JC was shot dead by Brent Wyndham on a residential street in Geraldton, about 400km north of Perth, on 17 September 2019. Her death prompted a snap protest in Geraldton and calls for greater oversight of police shootings and deaths in custody. Wyndham was acquitted of JC's murder and of manslaughter in October 2021, telling the WA supreme court he had acted in self-defence as JC was carrying a knife and a pair of scissors. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email After JC had left their house, her family called police for assistance out of concern for her state of mind, believing her to be volatile and armed with a knife. She had been released from prison weeks earlier, and had spent most of those weeks as an involuntary mental health patient. Less than a minute elapsed between the first police vehicle arriving at the scene and JC being shot, the coroner said, which 'begs the question of what thought, if any, was given to de-escalating the situation before the shot was fired'. Wyndham had made a 'split-second decision' to get out of a police car and move towards JC, the coroner said, shooting her within 17 seconds of leaving the vehicle. Fogliani rejected Wyndham's claim that he had no other options but to fire on JC, finding that he had 'put himself in the situation where he perceived he needed to fire', that JC was not an active armed offender and that she had not lunged at Wyndham or stepped towards him, though he may have honestly believed that she did. 'The tenor of the evidence of the attending police officers, and of the submissions of WA Police, is that the incident ended so quickly that there was no time for police to communicate with each other,' the coroner said. 'For the same reason, there were no reflections offered by them on how things could have been done differently. 'This reasoning is circular. The incident ended quickly because First Class Constable Wyndham shot JC. The question to explore is whether better coordination and communication could have avoided the incident ending quickly, in this tragic manner.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion The officers involved did not sufficiently recognise or consider JC's mental distress or the contributing cultural and historical context that attended it, she said. JC's 'premature death, in violent circumstances' not only deprived her son of his mother and caused her family profound grief, it also 'sadly reactivated and magnified the historical mistrust and antipathy that many Aboriginal persons feel towards police officers, for reasons that are well known and deeply embedded in the unfortunate and brutal consequences of colonisation', Fogliani said. 'By the time of the inquest, feelings of angst and anger were reverberating through the Aboriginal communities. This shocking incident risked undoing the very many years of concerted efforts on the part of the Western Australia Police Force (WA Police) to work with Aboriginal communities to foster mutual trust and respect.' Fogliani also recommended that WA police review the use-of-force training given to police officers and its audit processes, and explore ways to allow mental health practitioners to give advice to police attending calls involving people experiencing a mental health crisis. 'JC fell through the cracks in the system,' Fogliani concluded. 'It is my hope that the recommendations I have made will assist in providing some continuity of care and follow up when Aboriginal persons are removed from Country, for treatment.' Indigenous Australians can call 13YARN on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
WA coroner makes nine recommendations after finding policeman acted 'too hastily' before shooting JC
A Western Australian coroner has found the fatal shooting of a woman by police on a Geraldton street was preventable, and has made nine recommendations to prevent a similar outcome in the future. WARNING: The following story contains discussions of suicidal ideation and the image of an Indigenous person who has died. The 29-year-old Ngarlawangga Yamatji Martu woman, referred to as JC for cultural reasons, was shot dead by officer Brent Wyndham, after she was recently released from prison and reported to be walking down a suburban street holding a knife in September 2019. Two years later, Mr Wyndham was acquitted of murder after telling his WA Supreme Court trial he acted in self-defence, believing she was going to stab him before he fired his weapon. The verdict sparked an outpouring of grief from JC's friends and family as well as the local Indigenous community. A two-week coronial inquest last year in Geraldton and Perth examined the actions of the eight officers at the scene of the shooting. The inquest focused on factors including the circumstances of JC's death, the adequacy of WA Police policies and training concerning de-escalation and use of force, and the adequacy of mental health care she received in the weeks prior to her death. Coroner Ros Fogliani ultimately found JC's death to be a "lawful homicide". However, she found there were a number of opportunities for police to de-escalate the situation. Coroner Fogliani said JC's death was preventable, despite it being unknown whether a de-escalation tactic could have prevented the shooting. The findings detailed how JC had endured a difficult life, which was marred by long-term impacts, with her likely fetal alcohol spectrum disorder contributing to her volatility. She said JC's social factors became "overwhelming" and contributed to some instances of poor decision-making in her life. The findings stated JC's homelessness exacerbated her "fragile mental state", leading to suicidal thoughts. Both the inquest and trial highlighted the significant challenges JC faced accessing effective mental health care, particularly after her return to Geraldton. She had been diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder and drug induced psychosis by age 20, with an additional diagnosis of schizophrenia made in later years. But with the bulk of her treatment taking place in Perth, the inquest heard she effectively fell off the radar of local support services after her return to country. Amongst Ms Fogliani's recommendations is a call for better information sharing between WA's various health services, as well as between health and WA Police, about potentially vulnerable people re-entering the community. "That she died three weeks after her release from prison ... is very telling," Coroner Fogliani said. The coroner said Mr Wyndham shot JC within 17 seconds of leaving his vehicle. "He acted too hastily in running towards the threat posed by JC, not considering communication with the other police officer who was trying to engage with JC and putting himself in a situation where he perceived the need to fire," she said. Coroner Fogliani said JC's premature death caused immeasurable grief for her family and caused distress for Aboriginal communities. "It sadly reactivated and magnified the historical mistrust and antipathy that many Aboriginal persons feel towards police officers, for reasons that are well known and deeply embedded in the unfortunate and brutal consequences of colonisation," she said. The coroner said she was satisfied WA Police missed opportunities to effectively train the attending officers at the incident. "There were missed opportunities to communicate, which may have avoided JC being approached so quickly," she said. Coroner Fogliani said she could not exclude JC was having a psychotic episode when she was fatally shot. "JC fell through the cracks in the system," she said. The coroner said she was hopeful her recommendations would assist in providing "continuity of care and follow up" when Aboriginal people are removed from Country for treatment. The findings also included nine recommendations from the coroner, the first being improving relations with Aboriginal communities. Coroner Fogliani said consideration should be given to establishing a section or branch within WA Police dedicated to improving the relationship between police and Aboriginal people. Coroner Fogliani recommended WA Police oversee Aboriginal Cultural Awareness training, to be co-designed with and delivered by Indigenous people — on a regular basis. She asked for the effect of intergenerational trauma, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and the importance of cultural wellbeing, to be a focus. There was a recommendation for six police officers to undergo additional training. Coroner Fogliani also made a number of recommendations into the treatment of people with mental health issues. She called for the Department of Health to consult with WA Police, in working on how relevant information, such as mental health conditions can be shared between agencies. A recommendation was also made for discharging health service providers to consider notifying local health services a patient was returning to Country or an area they habitually reside.
