Officer who shot Australian Aboriginal teen Kumanjayi Walker was racist, inquest finds

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A long-awaited coronial inquest into the 2019 police shooting of a 19-year-old Aboriginal man in Australia has found that the officer who killed him held racist views that were ā€œnormalisedā€ within the Northern Territory (NT) Police Force.

Zachary Rolfe, 33, then a constable, shot Kumanjayi Walker three times during an attempted arrest in the remote community of Yuendumu. The killing prompted national outrage and renewed focus on the treatment of Indigenous Australians by law enforcement, especially after the inquest revealed text messages between officers using racial slurs and glorifying violence.

Mr Rolfe, who was stabbed in the shoulder with a pair of scissors during the confrontation, claimed he acted in self-defence and was acquitted of murder and manslaughter by a jury in March 2022.

In findings delivered on Monday following a three-year inquiry, NT coroner Elisabeth Armitage said systemic racism and repeated failures by the police to act on prior misconduct complaints against Mr Rolfe contributed to Walker’s death.

ā€œI am satisfied that Mr Rolfe was racist and that he worked in and was the beneficiary of an organisation with hallmarks of institutional racism.ā€

ā€œThis was not a case of one bad apple,ā€ she said.

She said she could not rule out the possibility that Mr Rolfe’s attitudes influenced his actions during the confrontation and may have been a ā€œcontributing cause of Kumanjayi’s deathā€.

This comes despite a separate investigation into the NT Police Force last year concluding that, although there had been historical racism, there was no evidence of such behaviour within the force since 2015.

She also found that the department failed to act on several prior complaints against Mr Rolfe for using excessive force against Aboriginal people, including incidents that caused head injuries. This lack of accountability, she said, gave him a sense of impunity and encouraged his continued mistreatment of Indigenous community members.

Kumanjayi Walker’s family and members of the community of Yuendumu gather to hear the coroner’s findings following an inquest into the 19-year-old’s death in Yuendumu, Northern Territory, Australia, 7 July 2025 (via REUTERS)

Ms Armitage’s report includes text messages Mr Rolfe exchanged with colleagues prior to the Yuendumu shooting, in which Indigenous people were referred to with racist names. It also details evidence from Mr Rolfe about informal racist awards being handed out within the force.

Ms Armitage noted that Mr Rolfe had a preference for ā€œadrenaline-style policingā€, often used excessive force, and tended to ā€œdehumaniseā€ suspects – a mindset she said ā€œmay have led him to errorā€ during Walker’s arrest.

ā€œThis was a case of officer induced jeopardy – where officers needlessly put themselves in danger making themselves and others vulnerable and creating a situation that justifies the use of deadly force,ā€ Ms Armitage said.

Walker died in November 2019 after being shot three times at close range by Mr Rolfe during a failed arrest at a home in Yuendumu, a remote town about 300km northwest of Alice Springs.

The community faces persistent challenges, including high unemployment and substance abuse.

Walker was wanted for allegedly breaching a court order and, days before his death, had reportedly threatened two police officers with an axe.

Protesters demand action on Yuendumu deaths in police custody during a rally at Sydney Town Hall on 7 June 2025 in Sydney, Australia. A 24-year-old Warlpiri man, Kumanjayi White, died after being forcibly restrained by two plainclothes police officers at a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs on 27 May 2025, sparking national outrage and calls for an independent investigation into his death (Getty Images)

The NT Police said it had implemented anti-racism measures during the inquest and would review the coroner’s recommendations in consultation with Indigenous leaders.

NT Police also said the inquest had been a ā€œlong and painful journey for all involvedā€.

ā€œThis has been a hard road, and we are determined to ensure that what has been learned is not lost,ā€ said acting commissioner Martin Dole.

In the close-knit community of Yuendumu, many had cared for Walker, who was orphaned at 12. Walker was deaf in one ear and was believed to have been born with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD).

On the night he was shot, residents waited outside the police station for hours with no information, The New York Times reported. Walker had a history of police run-ins and was wanted at the time for removing an electronic monitoring bracelet.

ā€œFrom the age of 13 to 18, Kumanjayi spent a considerable period of time in juvenile detention or under some restraint, such as bail or subject to a court order,ā€ Ms Armitage said.

ā€œOn average, for more of half of each year, Kumanjayi was under some form of restraint.ā€

A protester stands in front of a police line during a march demanding action on Yuendumu deaths in police custody on 7 June 2025 in Sydney, Australia. A 24-year-old Warlpiri man, Kumanjayi White, died after being forcibly restrained by two plainclothes police officers at a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs on 27 May 2025, sparking national outrage and calls for an independent investigation into his death. His passing has deeply affected the Yuendumu community, coming just days before the delayed release of the inquest findings into the 2019 police shooting of another young Warlpiri man, Kumanjayi Walker, highlighting ongoing concerns about Aboriginal deaths in custody in the Northern Territory (Getty Images)

Ahead of the coroner’s findings, Leanne Oldfield, who had helped raise him, said she felt exhausted by the long inquiry process. ā€œMy heart is still broke,ā€ she said.

Attorney-General Michelle Rowland acknowledged the NT’s jurisdiction over its justice system but pledged to work with others to reduce Indigenous deaths in custody.

ā€œI acknowledge the profound grief caused by the death of Kumanjayi Walker for his family members and community, and the distress of all those involved in this matter,ā€ she said.

Speaking to the National Indigenous Times ahead of the coroner’s report, Walker’s family said the findings should pave the way for a return to full community control of Yuendumu.

ā€œWhen we can self-determine our futures and self-govern our communities, our people are stronger, our outcomes are better, our culture thrives,ā€ they said.

Coroner Elisabeth Armitage hands down her findings in the inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu, Northern Territory, Australia, 7 July 2025 (via REUTERS)

Ms Armitage issued 32 recommendations, including the creation of ā€œmutual respect agreementsā€ to restrict police firearm use in Yuendumu, strengthening and publicly sharing the police’s anti-racism strategy, and ensuring public reporting on its implementation.

Concluding her hour-long address, Ms Armitage thanked all who contributed to the inquest and offered her condolences to Walker’s family. ā€œI am sorry for your profound loss,ā€ she said.

Meanwhile, in a statement to The Australian newspaper, Mr Rolfe hit back at the coroner’s findings, saying he came ā€œfrom a place of safetyā€.

ā€œThe severity of [Judge] Armitage’s criticism inadvertently highlights how effectively the police have safeguarded her privileged position, granting her a level of security and comfort that insulates her from the harsh realities faced daily by frontline officers and, more importantly, by countless victims of crime throughout the Northern Territory,ā€ Mr Rolfe said, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

ā€œThe coroner’s infantilisation of Indigenous communities does not empower but rather diminishes agency and reinforces dependency.

ā€œUnfortunately, this coronial investigation represents a misallocation of valuable time and resources, missing a critical opportunity to propose genuinely beneficial and impactful reforms.ā€