Yuendemu community members have called for the bail conditions for the Northern Territory police officer charged with the murder of Kumanjayi Walker to be revoked.
In a passionate speech on the lawns of Alice Springs Local Court, Senior Warlpiri man Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves asked if the same would be offered for yapa [Aboriginal person] charged with a similar crime.
“Would he or she be with his mum and dad today? Think about that one. That’s not fair," he said.
“What we’re saying is we want his bail conditions to be revoked.”
Constable Zachary Rolfe was charged with the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Walker after fatally shooting him at his home in Yuendumu - about 300km north-west of Alice Springs on November 9 last year.
Judge John Birch made the decision to grant bail to Rolfe in November, just hours after he was charged with Mr Walker's murder.
Among the conditions of Rolfe’s bail, he must attend a police station once a week, surrender his passport so he can’t leave the country, and must not have contact with certain witnesses.
On the second day of Rolfe's committal hearing at Alice Springs Local Court - distressing footage from an officer’s bodycam during the arrest and fatal shooting of Kumanjayi Walker was shown.
The morning's proceedings also included cross-examinations of Constable Anthony Hawkings and James Kirstenfeldt, who were deployed with Rolfe and one other member of the Immediate Response Team to arrest Mr Walker on the weekend of November 9.
The hearing is set to continue until Friday, with Judge Birch expected to make a decision on whether there is enough evidence to commit the case to the NT Supreme Court at a later date.
