Latest news with #Wurst
7NEWS
29-05-2025
- 7NEWS
Family ‘in the dark' after death in custody of Indigenous man with disability at Coles supermarket in Alice Springs
Disturbing details have emerged about the death of a young man in custody at a Coles supermarket on Tuesday. The young man, who died after being pinned to the ground by police, was a 24-year-old Warlpiri man from Yuendumu, a remote community about three-and-a-half hours northwest of Alice Springs. The young man, who lived with a disability, had been in Alice Springs for a number of years, and was under a guardianship order and on an NDIS plan. He was confronted by security guards who believed he was shoplifting in the confectionary aisle of Coles about 1.10pm. NT Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said the 24-year-old man was then 'taken to the ground' after a scuffle with the guards, and held there for 'a number of minutes'. Plain-clothed officers then arrived and handcuffed the young man — this is when police determined he had lost consciousness. The handcuffs were removed and police began CPR until paramedics arrived and took the 24-year-old man to Alice Springs Hospital, where he was declared dead about 2.20pm. His cause of death was unable to be determined by a preliminary autopsy, and the forensic pathologist is required for further investigation. Calls for inquiry amid reports 'knee was behind his head' There is no independent inquiry into the death at this stage. While Wurst said police will approach the 'complex investigation' with an 'objective lens', calls are mounting for additional scrutiny. One woman told NT News that she witnessed people calling out to police during the incident: 'This fella has a disability, he's disabled, just be a bit more careful.' 'And then all of a sudden he started fitting on the ground, like he was having a seizure,' the woman said. One witness told the outlet they saw an officer's 'knee was behind his head', and another witness told the ABC: 'It looked pretty violent, and then they slammed him to the ground.' Wurst said police would not 'provide specifics in relation to the actual incident and the conduct of the security guards or officers', when he was questioned about these witness reports during a press conference. Amnesty International Australia called for an investigation to be conducted, independent of 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,' an Amnesty spokesperson said. There have been 593 Indigenous deaths in custody recorded since the 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. Community mourns, family left 'in the dark' The young man's grandfather, Yuendumu elder and Warlpiri man Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, said the family has been left 'in the dark about what really happened'. He has called for access to the CCTV and bodycam footage, which Wurst said is currently informing the police investigation. 'Family representatives need to see all available footage of this incident immediately, both CCTV and bodycam, so we can understand what happened to my jaja (grandson),' Hargraves said. 'We are terrified. We are shattered. We are frustrated. This is happening again and again. 'They (police) are saying they want to come and say sorry to us — no. We can't go on saying sorry, sorry, sorry.' The Yuendumu community were a fortnight away from receiving the coronal findings about the death of Kumanjayi Walker, a Warlpiri and Luritja teen, also from Yuendumu, who was shot three times at close range by former NT police officer Zachary Rolfe in 2019. An inquiry into the shooting found Rolfe not guilty on all charges over the 19-year-old's death in 2022. After years of waiting, Hargraves said the community is now considering postponing the visit from NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage, who was set to reveal her findings to them on June 10. 'Because of all these troubles happening right now, it's too much,' Hargraves said. 'Criminalisation of disability' The First Peoples Disability Network said the death highlighted 'the increasing criminalisation of disability' and exposed failings with the guardianship system and the NDIS. Senator Lidia Thorpe called the young man's death 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.' Indigenous Australians Minister and NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy described the incident as devastating — that a man 'just searching for some food' had died. 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?' 'We cannot tolerate this situation, with continued brutality and lack of respect.'
9 News
29-05-2025
- 9 News
Calls for answers after 24-year-old Aboriginal man dies in custody
Your web browser is no longer supported. To improve your experience update it here A prominent legal service and a vocal senator have joined the community call for justice after the death in custody of a 24-year-old Aboriginal man in Alice Springs. The man was declared dead in hospital about 70 minutes after he was restrained on the ground following an altercation with security guards at the local Coles about 1.10pm on Tuesday. NT Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst earlier said the man had allegedly placed items down his clothing, assaulted one of the security guards when he was confronted and became aggressive with the plain clothes officers who were at Coles at the time and responded. The man was declared dead in hospital in Alice Springs. (Getty Images/iStockphoto) In an update yesterday afternoon, Wurst was able to confirm what transpired after the investigation team reviewed CCTV and body-worn footage from the security guards. "We can confirm the male was taken to the ground. He remained on the ground for a number of minutes before general duties frontline officers came to the Coles complex and placed handcuffs on the male," he said. "At about this point, it was determined that the male had lost consciousness. "The handcuffs were removed, first aid was administered immediately, and that included some CPR." Paramedics attended and rushed the man to Alice Springs Hospital, where he died. Wurst said his death was a "tragedy". The 24-year-old has been identified as a Warlpiri man who had been living in Alice Springs for several years. He is understood to have been living with a disability, on the NDIS and under state care. Northern Territory Police Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst. (NT Police) Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said her thoughts were with the man's family and confirmed she had been briefed by the acting commissioner. "The incident which occurred in Alice Springs (on Tuesday) is now subject to formal investigation," she said. Wurst said an autopsy has been conducted, but the cause of death was undetermined. "The pathologist is required to do further investigation to provide any substantive cause of death to assist the investigation," he said. The incident is being treated as a death in custody and will be subject to a coronial inquest. Wurst is leading what he said was a "complex investigation" on behalf of the coroner, which will be subject to oversight and is separate from the inquest. "I'm comfortable, and I can provide comfort to the Northern Territory community that we will provide an objective, professional and transparent investigation," he said. Wurst said initial inquiries have found that the man was involved in an altercation with an unknown woman and struck her back near the Commonwealth Bank on Gregory Terrace before the incident at Coles. Police are appealing for anyone with information about either incident to come forward. Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Lia Finocchiaro. (Alex Ellinghausen) Chair of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Theresa Roe said the incident was "tragic on all levels". "We've been very concerned that there would be a potential death in custody due to all the pressures in the justice system," she told "Now it's happened, so it's very distressing." Roe has seen a spike in demand for her services due to the territory's wave of tough new crime laws, including lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10, which she said has failed to address underlying issues like poverty, overcrowding and poor education outcomes. "The high rates of Aboriginal people being locked up, they're in the watch houses now, due to the overcrowding in the prisons, and we're having a lot of young people being locked up," she said. "You can see what the writing on the wall is. You can see what's going to happen with all these punitive laws. "Locking more people up is not the solution. There are better ways to deal with people." Roe accused the NT government of neglecting Indigenous communities and called for Finocchiaro to meet with key stakeholders. "This government is failing Aboriginal people across the Northern Territory, in our communities. Things are getting worse, they're not getting better," she said. "We need an intervention on this government because we just can't sit back and just watch more of our people die in custody, get locked up." Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe joined the community call for justice and answers. "He was hungry, and he needed care. Instead, he was met with brutal force," she said. "For decades, our people have called for an end to this violence — for justice, accountability, and care instead of cruelty. But still, our voices are ignored. "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." "We demand justice. We demand answers. And we stand with community in calling for truth, accountability, and change." For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76). CONTACT US Property News: 'Stressful': Perth mum's dilemma after rental mix-up.
The Advertiser
28-05-2025
- 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
Sydney Morning Herald
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
Alice Springs death: Man restrained in supermarket dies in police custody
Wurst said one of the guards was assaulted before two plain-clothed police tried to help. 'The male behaved rather aggressively and was placed onto the ground by those police officers. He was later identified as losing consciousness,' Wurst said. The assistant commissioner was unable to say if the man indicated he was struggling, or how long he was on the ground for, as the investigation was 'still in its nascent phase'. Thorpe said her heart was with those grieving the death of the young man. 'He was a disabled man, on the NDIS, and under state guardianship. He was hungry, and he needed care. Instead, he was met with brutal force,' Thorpe said. 'For decades, our people have called for an end to this violence — for justice, accountability, and care instead of cruelty. But still, our voices are ignored.' Thorpe said the man had died during National Reconciliation Week. '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... Yet despite countless recommendations, inquiries and promises, our people continue to die in custody,' she said. 'We demand justice. We demand answers.' In a statement on Wednesday, Malarndirri McCarthy said she had been in contact with the man's family. 'I have spoken with an Elder from the young man's family and have expressed my deepest sympathy,' she said. 'My thoughts are with all of his family, loved ones and community. The family is waiting for further information as the investigation is ongoing'. In today's shadow cabinet reshuffle, Liberal Senator for South Australia Kerrynne Liddle was named Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians. Liddle has been contacted for comment on the man's death. Thirty people have died in custody since January 1, eight of whom were Indigenous, according to data from the Australian Institute of Criminology's National Deaths in Custody Program. Our Breaking News Alert will notify you of significant breaking news when it happens. Get it here.
The Age
28-05-2025
- The Age
‘Met with brutal force': Thorpe demands answers after man dies in police custody in Alice Springs supermarket
Victorian independent senator Lidia Thorpe has described the death of a 24-year-old man in police custody at an Alice Springs supermarket as part of a brutal pattern of Indigenous people dying at the hands of police. The man was inside a Coles supermarket in central Alice Springs about 1.10pm (ACST) on Tuesday when he allegedly became involved in a scuffle with a security guard. The man was hungry and in need of care, Thorpe said, adding that he was a ward of the state and disabled. In a statement, NT Police said: 'Two police officers were in the store at the time of the incident and restrained the adult male. 'A short time later, the man stopped breathing and CPR was commenced. St John Ambulance attended the scene, and the man was conveyed to Alice Springs Hospital, where he was pronounced deceased shortly after 2.20pm.' Loading In a press conference on Tuesday, Assistant Commissioner Travis Wurst said security guards initially confronted the man as he was allegedly putting items down the front of his clothes. Wurst said one of the guards was assaulted before two plain-clothed police tried to help. 'The male behaved rather aggressively and was placed onto the ground by those police officers. He was later identified as losing consciousness,' Wurst said.
