A Tragic Truth Unveiled: The Coroner’s Findings on Kumanjayi Walker's Death
I want to talk about something that continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of many — the tragic death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu back in 2019, and the long-awaited coronial findings that have just been delivered by Northern Territory Coroner Elisabeth Armitage. It’s been nearly three years of hearings, delays, legal challenges, and painful truths, and now, we finally have the official findings.
Kumanjayi Walker, a young Warlpiri man, was fatally shot by then-police constable Zachary Rolfe during a botched arrest attempt in his remote Central Australian community. The incident was traumatic and sparked national conversations around policing, systemic racism, and Indigenous deaths in custody. Mr Rolfe was acquitted of all charges in 2022 — including murder — but the inquest continued, seeking to understand not just the incident itself, but the culture and systemic failings that may have led to it.
Coroner Armitage’s report is a sobering account of both individual and institutional failures. She found that Rolfe had shown "contempt for police accountability," ignored safety protocols, and acted with excessive and avoidable force. She labeled the incident a clear case of officer-induced jeopardy , where a police officer escalates a situation unnecessarily and then claims self-defence.
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But perhaps even more disturbing are the findings around culture and racism within the Northern Territory Police Force. Armitage found racist language was normalized — especially in the Alice Springs Police Station — and that Rolfe himself expressed racist, sexist, and homophobic views in private messages. The report described so-called “TRG awards” that were shockingly racist, yet passed around like jokes by elite police units. Rolfe, according to the coroner, operated within a system that enabled and tolerated this behaviour.
What makes this even more heartbreaking is that Kumanjayi's death, according to Armitage, could have been avoided . From the moment Rolfe entered Yuendumu, without proper planning or coordination, to the dragging of Kumanjayi’s body after the shooting — moments that devastated his family — there were constant, damaging failures.
The coroner has handed down 32 recommendations. These include strengthening the NT Police’s anti-racism strategies, increasing accountability for internal complaints, and better community engagement — including agreements on when police should not carry firearms. Importantly, there’s a push to support programs in Yuendumu — night patrols, youth services, disability support — and develop local leadership structures to help build safer, more self-determined communities.
This is more than just a report. It’s a mirror to some of the darkest parts of policing and justice in this country. And while justice in the legal sense may not have been delivered in court, this inquest gave voice to Kumanjayi’s family, to his community, and to the truth.
Now, the question is — will action follow words?
For Kumanjayi, for his family, and for every other Indigenous life lost in custody, we owe it to them not to let this be another report that fades into silence.
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