NT Police Officer Involved in Fatal Shooting of Kumanjayi Walker Found to Have Racial Prejudices, Coroner

Constable Zachary Rolfe shot and killed Kumanjayi Walker, a Warlpiri man, while trying to arrest him on 9 November 2019 in Yuendumu, about 300km from Alice Springs. In March 2022, Rolfe was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter charges. A coroner has found that Rolfe’s attitudes, including his demonstrated history of recreational drug use and potentially institutional racism, could have contributed to his conduct on the night of the shooting. The coroner, Elisabeth Armitage, found that Rolfe had used unnecessary force in previous arrests and had dehumanised suspects. Her findings suggest that the shooting was preventable and that police must take care when interacting with people like Walker who may react violently due to their experiences with alcohol, violence and trauma from a young age.