Lawyers for the Northern Territory Police Force have described one of their former officers as an alleged "racist" and "misogynist” on the final day of submissions in the inquest into the fatal police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker. Zachary Rolfe fatally shot the 19-year-old during an attempted arrest in Yuendumu in 2019, he was acquitted of his murder in 2022.
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00:00A dramatic end to a long and often painful chapter.
00:06We thank the family and the community for being respectful of the process.
00:09The Deputy Police Commissioner present in court today as a series of explosive allegations
00:14were levelled at the officer at the centre of the inquest.
00:17It is absolutely undeniable that Mr Rolfe is a racist.
00:22People who talk about loser locals, coons, neanderthals are racists and it's important
00:27to call it as it is.
00:29It's also clear enough that he's sexist, he's a misogynist, he's homophobic, he has disrespect
00:34for authority and he has contempt for bush cops.
00:38Several parties to the inquest have alleged racism was alive and well on the night Zachary
00:42Rolfe fatally shot Kumonjai Walker, but the NT police force said that was merely speculation.
00:49He didn't say anything which indicated a particular racist attitude to Kumonjai as an Aboriginal
00:54man.
00:55What he did was to be a really poor policeman.
00:57He didn't plan, he didn't listen, he didn't think, he just burst into action as a hero
01:02in his own head.
01:04Mr Rolfe's lawyer cautioned the coroner against singling out Mr Rolfe while other TRG officers
01:10also faced allegations of racism.
01:13Despite the allegations, Ian Freckleton told the coroner she should not find there was
01:17any systemic racism within the ranks.
01:20On behalf of NT police, Mr Freckleton apologised to the family of Kumonjai Walker for the role
01:26police played in the young man's death and reiterated the agency's commitment to improving
01:31police culture and practices.
01:34With close to 2,000 pages of written submissions and evidence from more than 70 witnesses over
01:4068 hearing days, the coroner will now spend several months writing her findings and recommendations,
01:47aiming to deliver her report by the end of February next year.
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