Yahoo Finance NT police officer Zachary Rolfe shot Kumanjayi Walker twice at 'very close' range, court told
A Northern Territory police officer has told a court he saw Constable Zachary Rolfe shoot Kumanjayi Walker twice at “very close” range during an attempted arrest of the young man at his Yuendumu home in November 2019.
Body-worn video footage of the shooting, described by the prosecutor, Phil Strickland, as of an “extreme nature”, was played to the court several times during Wednesday’s committal hearing for Rolfe who has been charged with Walker’s murder.
Constable Anthony Hawkings, a member along with Rolfe of the immediate response team sent to detain Walker, said he stood at the door holding an AR-15 rifle while the arrest took place.
Hawkings’ body-worn camera footage appeared to show Walker on the floor while two police officers ordered him to “drop the scissors” before shots were fired from close range.
Hawkings was initially deployed to the rear of the house. But when he heard some noise he moved around to the front of the building to see Rolfe and Constable Adam Eberl grappling with Walker on the floor inside.
Related: Police sent to arrest Kumanjayi Walker before his death told he posed a danger, court hears
Both officers were urging him to “let go of the scissors” or “drop the scissors”, Hawkings said. He told the court he noticed Walker was holding something tight in one hand and that a gun was being held close to him.
“I know it was very close. I think in my statement, from my recollection, it was – I may have mentioned point-blank or touching, but it was the angle that I was looking at,” he said. “I couldn’t give you a distance of the end of the barrel versus the point of contact of skin.”
Hawkings said Walker “absolutely” continued to resist even after the second and third shots were fired.
Hawkings was also asked about police training, which he said dictated that officers draw their guns if an offender produced an edged weapon such as a knife or scissors.
“If somebody is coming at you and you can’t retreat or you’re in a situation where you can’t, you’re obviously going to draw your firearm if you fear death, serious bodily harm to yourself or to others,” he said. “Just because you draw a firearm doesn’t mean you have to discharge that firearm. As I say, it all depends on the actions of the person that you’re challenging.”
Neither Hawkins nor his fellow IRT team member, Constable James Kirstenfeldt, could recall any conversations among the team about the impending arrest before they left Alice Springs police station, nor as the team drove the 300km to Yuendumu, nor as they searched two houses looking for Walker.
The prosecutor asked Kirstenfeldt: “Did you discuss with Mr Rolfe beforehand what would happen if he was there?”
“I don’t think so,” Kirstenfeldt replied.
“Did you discuss with Mr Rolfe what would happen if you found [Walker] there and he presented with a weapon?” Strickland asked.
“Not that I remember,” Kirstenfeldt said.
Rolfe has not yet entered a plea to the murder charge but has previously indicated he would contest the allegations. The committal hearing, scheduled to run until Friday, will determine if the matter proceeds to the supreme court for trial. Rolfe is appearing via video link from Canberra.
