Latest news with #Wadeye
The Advertiser
4 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Man who died in police custody was a dedicated educator
An Aboriginal man who died after police prevented him from boarding a flight was a senior Wadeye elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. A death-in-custody investigation is under way after federal police stopped the 68-year-old from joining a flight out of Darwin on May 30, on reports he was intoxicated. He was taken into "protective custody" but on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital he was found to be unconscious, prompting medical staff to commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful. He was transferred to the intensive care unit for ongoing treatment for a suspected medical event but died there on Saturday. "The cause of the man's death remains undetermined pending a postmortem," Northern Territory police have said. "The incident is being investigated as a death in custody as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness." The AFP has said the man was not arrested and was "not restrained at any point by AFP officers". Aboriginal leaders from the Top End's Daly region have expressed their communities' grief over the loss of the elder - referred to as TN after his death. Thamarrurr Development Corporation representing Wangga, Lirrga, Wulthirri and Tharnpa peoples confirmed in a statement he was a "much loved and respected senior man, who was a mentor to us all". "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed." TN was a champion for bilingual education and had produced children's books in local tribal language. In 2007 he took part in a racial discrimination action in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission arguing Wadeye children received less than half the school funding received by other NT children. Then-federal education minister Peter Garrett announced the community would get a $7.7 million funding package in exchange for dropping its complaint. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN, who had been a council member, was a "quiet achiever" whose legacy would live on. "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions." Opposition leader Selena Uibo said TN's loss would be "be felt deeply across the territory". "He was a respected and strong leader - valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," Ms Uibo said. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her government recognised the "pain and grief being felt" and her thoughts were with the man's family and loved ones. Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN for many years and he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he told the ABC. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." NT Police will prepare a report for the coroner. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 An Aboriginal man who died after police prevented him from boarding a flight was a senior Wadeye elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. A death-in-custody investigation is under way after federal police stopped the 68-year-old from joining a flight out of Darwin on May 30, on reports he was intoxicated. He was taken into "protective custody" but on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital he was found to be unconscious, prompting medical staff to commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful. He was transferred to the intensive care unit for ongoing treatment for a suspected medical event but died there on Saturday. "The cause of the man's death remains undetermined pending a postmortem," Northern Territory police have said. "The incident is being investigated as a death in custody as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness." The AFP has said the man was not arrested and was "not restrained at any point by AFP officers". Aboriginal leaders from the Top End's Daly region have expressed their communities' grief over the loss of the elder - referred to as TN after his death. Thamarrurr Development Corporation representing Wangga, Lirrga, Wulthirri and Tharnpa peoples confirmed in a statement he was a "much loved and respected senior man, who was a mentor to us all". "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed." TN was a champion for bilingual education and had produced children's books in local tribal language. In 2007 he took part in a racial discrimination action in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission arguing Wadeye children received less than half the school funding received by other NT children. Then-federal education minister Peter Garrett announced the community would get a $7.7 million funding package in exchange for dropping its complaint. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN, who had been a council member, was a "quiet achiever" whose legacy would live on. "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions." Opposition leader Selena Uibo said TN's loss would be "be felt deeply across the territory". "He was a respected and strong leader - valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," Ms Uibo said. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her government recognised the "pain and grief being felt" and her thoughts were with the man's family and loved ones. Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN for many years and he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he told the ABC. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." NT Police will prepare a report for the coroner. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 An Aboriginal man who died after police prevented him from boarding a flight was a senior Wadeye elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. A death-in-custody investigation is under way after federal police stopped the 68-year-old from joining a flight out of Darwin on May 30, on reports he was intoxicated. He was taken into "protective custody" but on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital he was found to be unconscious, prompting medical staff to commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful. He was transferred to the intensive care unit for ongoing treatment for a suspected medical event but died there on Saturday. "The cause of the man's death remains undetermined pending a postmortem," Northern Territory police have said. "The incident is being investigated as a death in custody as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness." The AFP has said the man was not arrested and was "not restrained at any point by AFP officers". Aboriginal leaders from the Top End's Daly region have expressed their communities' grief over the loss of the elder - referred to as TN after his death. Thamarrurr Development Corporation representing Wangga, Lirrga, Wulthirri and Tharnpa peoples confirmed in a statement he was a "much loved and respected senior man, who was a mentor to us all". "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed." TN was a champion for bilingual education and had produced children's books in local tribal language. In 2007 he took part in a racial discrimination action in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission arguing Wadeye children received less than half the school funding received by other NT children. Then-federal education minister Peter Garrett announced the community would get a $7.7 million funding package in exchange for dropping its complaint. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN, who had been a council member, was a "quiet achiever" whose legacy would live on. "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions." Opposition leader Selena Uibo said TN's loss would be "be felt deeply across the territory". "He was a respected and strong leader - valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," Ms Uibo said. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her government recognised the "pain and grief being felt" and her thoughts were with the man's family and loved ones. Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN for many years and he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he told the ABC. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." NT Police will prepare a report for the coroner. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14 An Aboriginal man who died after police prevented him from boarding a flight was a senior Wadeye elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. A death-in-custody investigation is under way after federal police stopped the 68-year-old from joining a flight out of Darwin on May 30, on reports he was intoxicated. He was taken into "protective custody" but on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital he was found to be unconscious, prompting medical staff to commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful. He was transferred to the intensive care unit for ongoing treatment for a suspected medical event but died there on Saturday. "The cause of the man's death remains undetermined pending a postmortem," Northern Territory police have said. "The incident is being investigated as a death in custody as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness." The AFP has said the man was not arrested and was "not restrained at any point by AFP officers". Aboriginal leaders from the Top End's Daly region have expressed their communities' grief over the loss of the elder - referred to as TN after his death. Thamarrurr Development Corporation representing Wangga, Lirrga, Wulthirri and Tharnpa peoples confirmed in a statement he was a "much loved and respected senior man, who was a mentor to us all". "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed." TN was a champion for bilingual education and had produced children's books in local tribal language. In 2007 he took part in a racial discrimination action in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission arguing Wadeye children received less than half the school funding received by other NT children. Then-federal education minister Peter Garrett announced the community would get a $7.7 million funding package in exchange for dropping its complaint. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN, who had been a council member, was a "quiet achiever" whose legacy would live on. "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions." Opposition leader Selena Uibo said TN's loss would be "be felt deeply across the territory". "He was a respected and strong leader - valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," Ms Uibo said. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her government recognised the "pain and grief being felt" and her thoughts were with the man's family and loved ones. Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN for many years and he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he told the ABC. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." NT Police will prepare a report for the coroner. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
West Australian
7 hours ago
- West Australian
Man who died in police custody was a dedicated educator
An Aboriginal man who died after police prevented him from boarding a flight was a senior Wadeye elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. A death-in-custody investigation is under way after federal police stopped the 68-year-old from joining a flight out of Darwin on May 30, on reports he was intoxicated. He was taken into "protective custody" but on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital he was found to be unconscious, prompting medical staff to commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful. He was transferred to the intensive care unit for ongoing treatment for a suspected medical event but died there on Saturday. "The cause of the man's death remains undetermined pending a postmortem," Northern Territory police have said. "The incident is being investigated as a death in custody as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness." The AFP has said the man was not arrested and was "not restrained at any point by AFP officers". Aboriginal leaders from the Top End's Daly region have expressed their communities' grief over the loss of the elder - referred to as TN after his death. Thamarrurr Development Corporation representing Wangga, Lirrga, Wulthirri and Tharnpa peoples confirmed in a statement he was a "much loved and respected senior man, who was a mentor to us all". "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed." TN was a champion for bilingual education and had produced children's books in local tribal language. In 2007 he took part in a racial discrimination action in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission arguing Wadeye children received less than half the school funding received by other NT children. Then-federal education minister Peter Garrett announced the community would get a $7.7 million funding package in exchange for dropping its complaint. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN, who had been a council member, was a "quiet achiever" whose legacy would live on. "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions." Opposition leader Selena Uibo said TN's loss would be "be felt deeply across the territory". "He was a respected and strong leader - valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," Ms Uibo said. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her government recognised the "pain and grief being felt" and her thoughts were with the man's family and loved ones. Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN for many years and he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he told the ABC. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." NT Police will prepare a report for the coroner. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
Perth Now
7 hours ago
- Perth Now
Man who died in police custody was a dedicated educator
An Aboriginal man who died after police prevented him from boarding a flight was a senior Wadeye elder who lobbied for bilingual schooling and better education funding for his community. A death-in-custody investigation is under way after federal police stopped the 68-year-old from joining a flight out of Darwin on May 30, on reports he was intoxicated. He was taken into "protective custody" but on arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital he was found to be unconscious, prompting medical staff to commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful. He was transferred to the intensive care unit for ongoing treatment for a suspected medical event but died there on Saturday. "The cause of the man's death remains undetermined pending a postmortem," Northern Territory police have said. "The incident is being investigated as a death in custody as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness." The AFP has said the man was not arrested and was "not restrained at any point by AFP officers". Aboriginal leaders from the Top End's Daly region have expressed their communities' grief over the loss of the elder - referred to as TN after his death. Thamarrurr Development Corporation representing Wangga, Lirrga, Wulthirri and Tharnpa peoples confirmed in a statement he was a "much loved and respected senior man, who was a mentor to us all". "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed." TN was a champion for bilingual education and had produced children's books in local tribal language. In 2007 he took part in a racial discrimination action in the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission arguing Wadeye children received less than half the school funding received by other NT children. Then-federal education minister Peter Garrett announced the community would get a $7.7 million funding package in exchange for dropping its complaint. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN, who had been a council member, was a "quiet achiever" whose legacy would live on. "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions." Opposition leader Selena Uibo said TN's loss would be "be felt deeply across the territory". "He was a respected and strong leader - valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," Ms Uibo said. NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her government recognised the "pain and grief being felt" and her thoughts were with the man's family and loved ones. Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN for many years and he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he told the ABC. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." NT Police will prepare a report for the coroner. 13YARN 13 92 76 Lifeline 13 11 14
ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
Man who died in police custody at Darwin hospital remembered by Wadeye community
A man who died in police custody at a Darwin hospital on Saturday has been remembered as a "great visionary and educator" as the remote Northern Territory community of Wadeye mourns his loss. The 68-year-old — referred to as TN after his death — was a senior elder from the Kardu Rak Kirnmu clan and traditional owner who lived in the community on the Top End's west coast, formerly known as Port Keats. TN was taken into protective custody by Australian Federal Police (AFP) at Darwin airport on May 30 and was later admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital's (RDH) intensive care unit, where he died on Saturday. Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan said TN's "work for his community and people will never be forgotten". "My heart goes out to his loved ones and all mob across the Wadeye and Darwin Daly regions," he said in a statement on Sunday. "His legacy will live on." The Thamarrurr Development Corporation (TDC), of which TN was a board member, also released a statement saying he was a much loved and respected mentor to his community. "A great visionary and educator, a campaigner for a better life for his community and a respected leader, he will be greatly missed," a spokesperson said. "He played a key role in developing and guiding TDC to become the organisation it is today." Catholic Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci said he had known TN "for many years" and "had the privilege of being with [him] on the day he died", saying he was "deeply saddened at his death". "I was able to accompany him on the last day of his life, I was in the hospital with his wife and family and to pray with him and to be there with them, walking with them at this very significant time," he said. "I have great respect for him as a great leader, he had vision and understanding, he was a very educated man. "He believed in education as empowerment and he was an educator for many years himself. "He was co-principal at the school at Wadeye and really contributed deeply and widely there for the education of young people." Bishop Gauci said TN's loss would leave "a big gap", calling on other leaders across the community step up and continue his "vision of two way". "Two way means be deeply connected with your roots and your culture and celebrate that but also, be open to the realities of life and adapt," he said. An AFP spokesperson said the 68-year-old man was taken to RDH for "sobering up" after being detained on May 30 for allegedly attempting to board a flight while intoxicated. "The man was taken into 'protective custody' by AFP officers under section 128 of the Police Administration Act (PAA) at Darwin airport," they said in a statement. "AFP officers then transported the man to a Darwin hospital where he could be supervised and monitored while sobering up." The PAA allows police in the Northern Territory to apprehend a person without warrant, if the officer believes they are intoxicated in a public place. Under the legislation, a person can be apprehended if police believe they are "unable to adequately care for" themself, may "cause harm" to themself or others, may "intimidate, alarm or cause substantial annoyance to people" or are "likely to commit an offence". The AFP spokesperson said the man experienced a "sudden and serious medical episode" upon arrival at RDH and was admitted to intensive care, where he remained until his death on Saturday. However an NT Police spokesperson said shortly after he was taken into AFP custody, the custody sergeant and a nurse assessed him at the Palmerston watch house "where it was deemed necessary to convey the man to RDH for further assessment". NT Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said the "devastating loss" would be "felt deeply across the territory" and to have two deaths in custody in less than two weeks was "beyond tragic". "[TN] was a respected and strong leader — valued for the guidance he provided to those he worked alongside and the outcomes he helped deliver for his community," she said in a statement. "I know many Territorians will be feeling a profound sense of grief and shock at these two lives tragically cut short. "My thoughts today are also with our police, first responders and hospital staff who are always there for the community in the most difficult of circumstances." Local member for the Daly region, Dheran Young, said his thoughts were with TN's family and community. "Your vision, leadership and advocacy inspired us all," he wrote on social media.
