Limited support for proposals in Kumanjayi Walker death

Walker
The NT government and police have responded to inquest findings over the death of Kumanjayi Walker. -AAP Image

The case of a young Aboriginal man fatally shot during a botched arrest will be used in police training as an example of "officer-induced jeopardy" following a coroner's recommendation.

The Northern Territory government and police force have responded to the recommendations of Coroner Elisabeth Armitage following her inquest into the shooting of Kumanjayi Walker.

The 19-year-old was shot three times by former police constable Zachary Rolfe on November 19, 2019, in the outback community of Yuendumu after he stabbed the officer with scissors.

Mr Rolfe, who is no longer with the force, was acquitted over the killing in a Supreme Court trial but the coroner found he held racist attitudes that may have influenced his actions against Mr Walker.

She found Mr Rolfe worked at an organisation with the "hallmarks of institutional racism".

NT Police has since implemented an anti-racism strategy.

Ms Armitage made 33 recommendations in July following her inquest but the NT government has only supported a third of them, as detailed in a response tabled in the NT parliament.

In his response to the coroner NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole accepted nine out of 18 recommendations made in relation to the force, with a further seven accepted in part.

One recommendation accepted by Mr Dole is the implementation of mandatory drug and alcohol testing for all officers involved in a critical incident.

The NT Police also accepted that Mr Walker's death will be used in police training as an example of "officer-induced jeopardy" for new recruits.

Officer-induced jeopardy is when police needlessly place themselves or others in danger through tactical errors, over-aggressive tactics, or ignoring safety protocols.

"The NT Police College has implemented the officer-induced jeopardy concept into several areas of recruit and in-service training, using real examples — including the circumstances of Kumanjayi Walker's death —to embed lessons in institutional memory," Mr Dole's response said.

He did not accept a recommendation of a mandatory four-month remote community posting for all new recruits.

Coronial recommendations accepted by police in part included engaging more with community leaders in Yuendumu and ensuring the more careful deployment of rifles to officers, with appropriate approvals.