We want to acknowledge that the termination of Zachary Rolfe from the NT police force has felt like a win for our community, this has been really important for us, and this is perhaps the start of our healing but it is also important that we acknowledge that Zachary Rolfe has been terminated after breaching media policy during his good behaviour period (among other things), not his racist and violent behaviour. This is a small step towards justice, but there is much more to be done to correct an extremely broken system. Change will not be here until police officers are fired for racist and violent behaviour! Change will be here when we are no longer fighting for avoidable black deaths in custody (all deaths in custody are avoidable).
We highlight that the police force is now on watch along with other institutions, as precedents and consequences continue to be set for those that violate policies and laws, not just policies around media, but policies and laws violating human rights and abuses towards black people.
What’s been revealed in this inquest is that facts and evidence have shown racism and bias against the Indigenous community from multiple institutions, so further justice needs to continue, or a lack of trust remains not just from the Aboriginal community but greater society and across the world. The world is watching, and this represents all of us who stand in solidarity in the fight for change, truth and accountability in this broken system.
As the community and family of Kumanjayi Walker, we have sat in every court proceeding and listened to the evidence relating to Zachary Rolfe’s shooting and killing of Kumanjayi Walker on the 9th of November 2019 at Yuendumu. We have watched the body-worn videos and have cried endless tears for Kumanjayi. We have thought about his fears, his pain, his suffering and his loneliness in his last hours, and we have felt our deep sadness in missing him.
The violence that tragically killed one of our family members has also caused great harm towards our community because it has made us feel scared and unsafe. Nobody deserves to feel scared in their own community and home. The police were supposed to serve and protect us, but we did not feel protected. We have listened to the evidence around the many accounts of the excessive force Zachary Rolfe inflicted on other Indigenous people as a police officer in the Northern Territory, and it has shocked us that he had continued to be a serving officer up until the 9th of November 2019 and onward. Where has the accountability been? Where was the intent to protect us?
We cannot believe that despite killing Kumanjayi and all those times, he was investigated for different misconduct and excessive use of force, Zachary Rolfe, has remained employed by the Northern Territory Police Force. We cannot help but think, “if discipline was taken earlier, would Kumanjayi still be with us today?”. It is a miserable thought.
However, when we got the news of Zachary’s termination yesterday, we cried. As a community and family, we feel a grave sense of relief knowing that he doesn’t wear the same uniform that he wore when he shot Kumanjayi. We cried, hoping that this is the start of change, of accountability. We cried with hope.
Throughout the many years, we’ve experienced a bias against the Indigenous community made by the media regarding Kumanjayi Walker – with much of the reporting being factually untrue. There’s a history of media outlets defaming Kumanjayi, our family and our community, so we’ve fought and will continue to stop those lies and to tell the truth instead. For much of this time, we have felt hopeless to those stories and have been in disbelief that this kept happening despite our grace and dignity in the process. Many times we question “why do they keep doing this”, “how are they allowed to do this?”, but yesterday we finally got some justice for Kumanjayi. Finally, someone was held accountable for the things they have said.
We welcome all those who wish to fight for Justice for Walker. Who wish to fight for change. – we must be listened to, and governments must act on community’s calls for change. Change is here, change is now. Will you be part of that change?
Thank you deeply to those who have continued to send us love and strength, it has meant the world to us.
Lastly, to our missed and loved Kumanjayi, we will continue to fight for you.
Can Counter-Storytelling Enact Black Justice? – (But why?)
This article is part of the Black Knowing series, a partnership with QUT’s Carumba Institute and IndigenousX. Jade Robertson explores, can telling our stories - truthfully, unapologetically - dismantle the systems that silence us?
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