Overview

• Kumanjayi White, a 24-year-old Warlpiri man with disabilities, stopped breathing after being restrained by two plainclothes officers at an Alice Springs supermarket on May 27 and died shortly after at hospital.
• The NT Police Major Crime Section is leading a criminal investigation into his death, prompting the Northern Territory coroner to pause a parallel inquest until its conclusion.
• White’s family is calling for immediate release of CCTV and body-worn camera recordings and has urged the establishment of an independent federal commission to examine police conduct.
• Central Land Council Chair Warren Williams has appealed to the federal government to withhold Northern Territory funding until comprehensive police oversight reforms are implemented.
• Candlelight vigils in Sydney and demonstrations across Australia have underscored growing outrage over Indigenous deaths in custody and demands for greater accountability.