Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
Archive for February, 2022
Kumanjayi ‘planned to hand himself in’
A Yuendumu elder says Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker had planned to surrender to police before Constable Zach Rolfe allegedly murdered him. February 17, 2022 Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker was planning to surrender to police before Constable Zachary Rolfe allegedly murdered him during a failed outback arrest, a jury has been told. Rolfe, 30, is fighting […]
Kumanjayi ‘planned to surrender to police’
Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker planned to hand himself in to police the day after Constable Zach Rolfe allegedly murdered him, a court has been told. February 16, 2022 Kumanjayi Walker planned to hand himself in to police the day after Constable Zachary Rolfe allegedly murdered him during a failed outback arrest, a jury has been […]
Rolfe’s team had their own plan for Walker
One of Zachary Rolfe’s police colleagues has told his trial for Kumanjayi Walker’s alleged murder that their team had their own plan to arrest the teen. February 16, 2022 One of Zachary Rolfe’s colleagues has told the constable’s trial for allegedly murdering Kumanjayi Walker they made their own plan to arrest the Aboriginal teenager. Rolfe […]
Cop’s testimony to Rolfe trial called out
One of Zachary Rolfe’s police colleagues has been taken to task over his evidence to the constable’s trial for the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Walker. February 16, 2022 One of Constable Zachary Rolfe’s fellow elite police team member’s evidence about the day Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker was allegedly murdered has been called into question. Response team […]
Murder-accused cop’s team fronts trial
The first of Constable Zachary Rolfe’s specialist colleagues has given evidence at his trial for allegedly murdering Aboriginal teen Kumanjayi Walker. February 16, 2022 The first of Constable Zachary Rolfe’s fellow elite police team members has given evidence at his trial for allegedly murdering Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker. Rolfe has pleaded not guilty to murdering […]
Kumanjayi Walker ‘quiet, slow’ boy: uncle
The trial of a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering Kumanjayi Walker has heard from his uncle that the troubled teen was shy and quiet. February 15, 2022 Kumanjayi Walker was a shy and quiet boy, a Northern Territory police officer who watched him grow up has told a murder trial. Senior Aboriginal community police […]
Juror discharged in Rolfe murder trial
A jury member has been discharged from the trial for a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker. February 15, 2022 The trial for a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker during a failed outback arrest has lost a juror. Constable Zachary Rolfe, 30, has pleaded not […]
Video shows Rolfe calm and respectful
Constable Zachary Rolfe’s murder trial has been shown body-worn camera footage of him respectfully interacting with the Northern Territory Aboriginal community. February 15, 2022 Body-worn camera footage of Constable Zachary Rolfe two days before he allegedly murdered Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker shows him respectfully interacting with the Indigenous community. Rolfe has pleaded not guilty to murdering […]
Cops back murder-accused officer’s actions
Constable Zachary Rolfe’s supervisor says he may have fired his weapon if he was confronted by an offender like Kumanjayi Walker. February 14, 2022 The Northern Territory police officer who sent Constable Zachary Rolfe to arrest Kumanjayi Walker says he may have fired his gun if he was in a similar situation. Rolfe, 30, has […]
Rolfe did not follow top cop’s arrest plan
The young police officer accused of murdering Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker did not follow the arrest plan approved by his senior commander. February 14, 2022 A young police officer accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager during a failed outback arrest did not follow his senior commander’s plan, a jury has been told. Constable Zachary Rolfe, […]
Murder-accused NT cop’s trial to resume
The trial for a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager is set to resume after a week dominated by video of the incident. February 14, 2022 The trial of a young police officer accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager in a remote community amid conflicting orders is set to resume. Constable Zachary […]
Convicted triple murderer may change plea
Convicted triple murderer Benjamin Hoffmann may change his guilty plea, his new lawyer has told the Northern Territory Supreme Court. February 11, 2022 A gunman convicted of murdering three people in Darwin and killing another during a drug-fuelled shooting spree may change his guilty plea. Benjamin Glenn Hoffmann pleaded guilty in November to murdering Hassan […]
Sergeant denies hiding Kumanjayi evidence
Constable Zach Rolfe’s lawyer has accused a police sergeant of concealing evidence about the night Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker was fatally shot. February 11, 2022 A veteran Northern Territory police officer has been accused of concealing evidence from the defence team for a constable accused of murdering Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker. Sergeant Julie Frost was the […]
Senior cop backs murder accused constable
Constable Zachary Rolfe’s former boss says he would have been “ready to draw (his firearm) at a moment’s notice” if he had been searching for Kumanjayi Walker. February 11, 2022 Zachary Rolfe’s former boss says he would have been ready to draw his gun if he was searching for Kumanjayi Walker on the night the […]
Rolfe ‘intent’ on Kumanjayi despite orders
A senior police officer drew up a plan to arrest Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker early in the morning but Constable Zachary Rolfe’s team had other ideas. February 10, 2022 Police in the remote central Australian community of Yuendumu created a detailed plan for arresting troubled Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker. But a crack team of heavily armed officers […]
Family told Kumanjayi to hand himself in
The family of slain Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker tried to convince him to hand himself in to police in the days before he was killed, a court has heard. February 10, 2022 Traditional owners tried to convince slain Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker to give himself up to police in the days before he was fatally shot, […]
Video of Kumanjayi shooting shown to jury
Confronting body worn camera footage of the moment a Northern Territory policeman shot Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker has been shown to a murder trial. February 9, 2022 Disturbing video of the moment a Northern Territory policeman shot Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker three times has been shown to a murder trial. Constable Zachary Rolfe, 30, has […]
Kumanjayi’s family warned teen may be shot
A Northern Territory policeman warned the family of Aboriginal teen Kumanjayi Walker he could get shot if he was violent towards officers, a court has heard. February 9, 2022 The family of slain Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker were warned days before he died that could get shot if he acted violently towards Northern Territory police, […]
Kumanjayi Walker attacked police with axe
Three days before a Northern Territory policeman shot Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker during a failed arrest attempt, he ran at an officer with an axe. February 9, 2022 Three days before Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker was fatally shot during a failed outback arrest, he ran at two Northern Territory policemen with an axe. But the […]
Murder-accused NT cop ‘went too far
Prosecutors say a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager may have realised he had “gone too far” after he pulled the trigger. February 9, 2022 A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager may have exaggerated the threat he and a fellow officer faced when he pulled the trigger. Constable […]
Murder-accused cop trained to incapacitate
A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager was trained to use his gun to incapacitate an armed offender, his defence says. February 8, 2022 A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager armed with scissors was trained that an “edged weapon equals gun”, his lawyer says. Constable Zachary Rolfe, 30, […]
Murder-accused NT cop ‘ignored plan’
A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager during a failed arrest attempt ignored a senior officer’s orders, the Crown says. February 8, 2022 A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager during a failed arrest attempt ignored a senior officer’s instructions, a jury has been told. Constable Zachary Rolfe, 30, […]
Murder-accused NT cop’s defence plan
A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teen is likely to use three defence strategies to secure a not guilty verdict, the Crown says. February 8, 2022 A Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager is likely to employ three defences to justify his actions, a jury has been told. Constable […]
Anger outside murder trial of NT cop
Traditional owners from Yuendumu remain angry as the trial of a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager gets underway. February 8, 2022 Traditional owners remain angry as the trial of a Northern Territory policeman accused of murdering an Aboriginal teenager in a remote community gets underway. Constable Zachary Rolfe, 30, has pleaded […]