A Northern Territory police officer who shot dead an Indigenous teenager had a tendency to rush into incidents and use force where none was needed, an inquest has been told.
Constable Zachary Rolfe shot Kumanjayi Walker, 19, three times during a bungled arrest in Yuendumu, northwest of Alice Springs, on November 9, 2019.
An Alice Springs inquest was told on Friday that Const Rolfe interpreted a suspect’s non-compliance as a threat and did “not endeavour to bring about peaceful resolutions to some incidents”.
“He uses quite heavy-handed tactics,” NT Police use-of-force expert Andrew Barram said in a report about the officer’s performance read to the inquest by counsel assisting Peggy Dwyer.
Acting Superintendent Barram’s report reviewed five incidents between 2016 and 2019 where Const Rolfe’s use of force was excessive or necessary.
“His choice of tactical options in these cases has resulted in injuries to subjects and potential injury to himself,” he said.
The former officer-in-charge of the NT Police operational safety section, Acting Supt Barram also noted Const Rolfe failed to use communication to diffuse incidents “and appears to prefer to go hands-on”.
“Force is used where none is needed,” he said in the report.
“It is likely Const Rolfe interprets any non-compliance or lack of co-operation as a threat and he therefore responds with a higher level of force than would reasonably be considered necessary.”
Acting Supt Barram, a veteran officer with 25 years on the job, concluded Const Rolfe showed a tendency to “want to get his man no matter what and pays little or no regard to the consequences of his actions which has resulted in quite severe and totally unnecessary injuries to suspects”.
He said Const Rolfe disregarded his training and police policy during the incidents.
Acting Supt Barram agreed with Dr Dwyer that Const Rolfe displayed a tendency to rush in and use excessive force.
He also agreed Const Rolfe’s attempted arrest of Mr Walker was a failure and his death the “worst possible outcome” that had a “ripple effect” through the community and police force.
Acting Supt Barram previously told Const Rolfe’s criminal trial, which concluded with the officer being acquitted of Mr Walker’s murder, that he didn’t need to fire the shots that killed the Warlpiri man.
He told the jury in March that Const Rolfe’s second and third shots into Mr Walker’s side as he lay on a mattress with another policeman on top of him were not reasonable or necessary.
“Things had changed substantially from when the first shot was fired,” he said told the Northern Territory Supreme Court.
“They had gone from standing in a fairly equal fight … to Mr Walker being shot in the back, which would affect a person in some way, and being pinned on the ground with his right arm under him.”
Mr Walker stabbed Const Rolfe with a pair of scissors while resisting arrest in the seconds before he was shot.
The inquest continues.