Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
Justice for Kumanjayi Walker Timeline 

Kumanjayi Walker was just 19 years old, when he was shot three times inside his home by NT police officer Zachary Rolfe.

The family of Kumanjayi Walker have sought truth, justice and accountability since his death on 9 November 2019. This page details key updates and a timeline of the family’s fight. 

 

Kumanjayi Walker Dies 

13 November 2019
Rolfe is charged with murder. Charged at 6:47pm and granted bail by 9:30pm the same evening in an “out-of-session local court hearing”. Warlpiri Elder Ned Hargreaves – “If Indigenous people did something like this, he would not have a chance to get a bail, to go live with his family.”

14 November 2019
More than 1,000 people protested against the police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. Protests and vigils spring up across the country demanding a full and independent investigation. Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians – Ken Wyatt – attended a meeting with community members, described by Elders as “disappointing”.

September 2020
Three-day committal hearing, followed by Rolfe’s legal team making a “no-case submission”.

13 October 2020
Family and community mark what would have been Kumanjayi Walker’s 20th birthday with renewed calls for justice.

 

Rolfe committed to stand trial for Kumanjayi Walker’s murder

26 October 2020
NT court decides to commit Police Constable Zachary Rolfe to stand trial for Kumanjayi Walker’s murder. It is the first time a police officer faces a murder trial in a First Nations death in custody case in the Northern Territory since the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in 1991.

9 November 2020
Family and community mark one year since Kumanjayi Walker was killed.

22 June 2021
The murder trial of Rolfe is delayed due to Covid-19 travel restrictions affecting travel of the prosecution team. The trial was originally scheduled for Monday 26 July 2021.

23 August 2021
The High Court decided that the murder trial should be delayed until the High Court can consider an appeal by the Prosecution. The appeal related to a decision of the NT Supreme Court to allow Rolfe to rely on the “good faith” defence.

11 November 2021
High Court of Australia rules Rolfe cannot rely on “good faith” police immunity to defend the charges against him.

20 January 2022
NT Supreme Court decides evidence showing Rolfe had used excessive force during previous arrests cannot be used in the trial. His text messages showing disregard for policing rules are also excluded.

7 February 2022
The murder trial of Zachary Rolfe begins in the NT Supreme Court. The trial lasts 5 weeks and hears from over 40 witnesses.

Rolfe acquitted 

11 March 2022
After deliberating for less than seven hours, the jury finds Zachary Rolfe not guilty of any charges. There are no Aboriginal members of the jury.
Family, Elders and community members speak out about their pain and vow to keep fighting for justice and accountability.

Coronial Inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker commences

5 September 2022
Coronial Inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker commences.  

“During this inquest, I’m inviting everyone to look a little deeper, and listen a little longer, because I think there is more to learn from, and more we need to try and understand about this story.”

– Coroner Armitage

September – November 2022
Over three months of hearings, the Coroner hears from witnesses including Kumanjayi’s family, Yuendumu Elders, and Aboriginal experts on self-determined justice solutions and community-led alternatives to police.

13 September 2022
Coroner decides that Rolfe’s racist text messages will be included in evidence during the inquest.

14 November 2022 
The Coronial Inquest visits Yuendumu to listen to grieving family and community members, and to better understand Kumanjayi’s life.

26 November 2022
Rolfe starts giving evidence in the coronial inquest, until he claims “penalty privilege” and joins the case brought by Sergeant Lee Bauwens, who sought an injunction restraining the Coroner and other parties from calling him to “give evidence or answer questions on matters that could give rise to a claim for penalty privilege”.

15 December 2022
NT Supreme Court rules Rolfe and Bauwens can be forced to front Kumanjayi Walker inquest. Rolfe appeals to the NT Court of Appeal.

27 February 2023
The inquest resumes for a further two weeks of evidence.

10 March 2023
Elders and community members who have occupied the courthouse lawns are recognised for their extraordinary commitment to the inquest process and its outcome.

NT Police admits gaslighting of communities in final hearings of evidence

27 May 2024
Coronial inquest recommences, with Rolfe to return and complete his evidence before oral submissions will be made by all of the parties.

28 May 2024
Seargent Lee Bauwens gives evidence around NT Police awards which mock Aboriginal people that started in 2006.
Former constable Zachary Rolfe concludes giving evidence and says he is ‘bored’ with the coronial process. Rolfe accepted that some of his conduct, like boasting of the use of force was unprofessional.

29 May 2024
NT Police Commissioner, Michael Murphy, was the final witness to give evidence to the long running coronial inquest into the death of Kumanjayi Walker. During his evidence, the Commissioner conceded that he had effectively gaslighted members of the Aboriginal community when denying that there is any racism in the NT Police.

Final submissions for the coronial inquest 

27 November 2024
Counsel assisting the coroner said that Zachary Rolfe had “invented” his account of Kumanjayi Walker reaching for his gun when giving evidence at the trial, two-and-a-half years after the events.  Counsel for the Walker, Lane, Robertson and Brown families urged the Coroner to find that Kumanjayi was dehumanised by all agencies, from health carers, Don Dale detention centre and the NT Police force.

28 November 2024
The Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities conceded that limited services were provided to Kumanjayi and more could have been done for him. NT Police said upon looking at the evidence that “it is absolutely undeniable that Mr Rolfe is a racist”. NT Police accepted that Mr Rolfe used excessive force on several occasions, but yet no adverse findings were made prior to Kumanjayi’s death. The Coroner is expected to report her findings and recommendations early next year.