The coronial inquest into the killing of Warlpiri teenager Kumanjayi Walker resumed on Monday, with senior members of the NT Police Force taking the stand during the week.
Constable Zachary Rolfe shot and killed Mr Walker during a botched arrest in Yuendumu, northwest of Alice Springs in November of 2019.
by a Supreme Court jury in March of 2022.
Offensive texts ‘not meant for Rolfe’
Kumanjayi Walker was shot and killed by Constable Rolfe in Yuendumu in 2019. Source: Supplied
On Thursday the inquest heard that the text messages referenced in the murder trial may not have been meant for Const Rolfe.
After the shooting, Const Rolfe received text messages from Sergeant Ian Nankivell that suggested he claim self-defence and referred to Mr Walker as “s*** c***”.
Sgt Nankivell “emphatically denied” that the messages were for Const Rolfe saying he had sent them to a close friend of Const Rolfe, Constable Mitchell Hansen.
In November, Const Hansen told the inquest that Sgt Nankivell had sent the texts to him with a request to forward them to Const Rolfe.
Sgt Nankivell maintained the messages were only meant to be seen by Const Hansen, despite acknowledging the pair did not have a personal relationship.
NT Deputy Commissioner defends the need for guns
Rolfe was posted with four other officers as part of a special police unit to arrest the teenager following his unauthorised departure from an Alice Springs alcohol rehabilitation clinic.
Julian McMahon SC, representing Yuendumu’s Parumpurru committee, questioned NT Police Deputy Commissioner Murray Smalpage about the unit.
DC Smalpage said he could understand how the unit is perceived as military-like.
He said whilst communities would much prefer the police don’t carry firearms, they are essential to the force.
He cited examples of violence against police in other states.
No evidence for concern over “angry horde”
The Deputy Commissioner also said officers believed there would be “an angry horde” that would “storm the station and inflict violence on officers, on property” after the shooting.
The lawyer for extended members of Mr Walker’s family, Gerald Mullins noted to DC Smalpage that there was no breach of the perimeters of the police station that night.
The only evidence of unrest were loud voices and a small rock fire.
Police say they were unaware of Mr Walker’s conditions
DC Smalpage said the police were unaware of Mr Walker’s post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, his intellectual disability and partial deafness.
The police force decided not to tell the Aboriginal Community Police Officer (and Mr Walker’s Uncle) Derek Williams of Mr Walker’s death that evening. However, all other staff working that night were informed.
The officers working in Yuendumu have previously acknowledged not immediately disclosing Mr Walker’s death to his family caused offence, anger and psychological harm.
The inquest in Alice Springs continues, with other members of the NT Police Force, including Assistant Commissioner Bruce Porter, expected to give evidence over the next two weeks.
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