Focus on the BIG picture.
Tuesday, Jun 10, 2025
Outside the box.
Northern Territory Police Investigate Death in Custody of Indigenous Man
An Indigenous man passes away in hospital after being taken into protective custody by Australian Federal Police.
The Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) is conducting an investigation into a death in custody following the death of a 68-year-old Indigenous man at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
The man was taken into protective custody on May 30 after reports indicated he was intoxicated and unable to board a flight out of Darwin.
According to NTPF, Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers transported him to the Palmerston Watchhouse.
There, the custody sergeant and a nurse determined that he required medical assessment and arranged for his transfer to the hospital.
Upon arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital, medical staff found that the man had lost consciousness, prompting immediate resuscitation efforts, which were initially successful.
He was subsequently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further treatment of what was believed to be a medical event.
Unfortunately, the man died in the ICU on Saturday, and an official cause of death has yet to be determined pending a post-mortem examination.
The NTPF stated that the incident is being treated as a death in custody since the individual was in the custody of the AFP at the time he lost consciousness.
The Northern Territory Police Force is proceeding with the investigation on behalf of the Coroner.
An NTPF representative confirmed that the deceased was Aboriginal and a resident of the Northern Territory.
Notifications have been made to his next of kin.
An AFP spokesperson clarified that individuals in protective custody are not under arrest and indicated that the man was not restrained during his time under their care.
He had been detained pursuant to the public intoxication section of the NT Police Administration Act, with the intent of monitoring him as he sobered up.
While en route to the hospital, he displayed no medical concerns; however, he experienced a serious medical episode shortly after admission.
The death marks the second incident of a death in custody within a fortnight in the Northern Territory, following the death of 24-year-old Kumanjayi White on May 27. Reports indicate that White, an Aboriginal man from the Yuendumu community, died after being restrained by plain-clothes officers while allegedly shoplifting at a supermarket in Alice Springs.
His death has prompted ongoing nationwide rallies advocating for justice and an independent inquiry.
The officers involved in the latest incident are being supported by AFP welfare officers as investigations continue.
The man was taken into protective custody on May 30 after reports indicated he was intoxicated and unable to board a flight out of Darwin.
According to NTPF, Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers transported him to the Palmerston Watchhouse.
There, the custody sergeant and a nurse determined that he required medical assessment and arranged for his transfer to the hospital.
Upon arrival at Royal Darwin Hospital, medical staff found that the man had lost consciousness, prompting immediate resuscitation efforts, which were initially successful.
He was subsequently admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for further treatment of what was believed to be a medical event.
Unfortunately, the man died in the ICU on Saturday, and an official cause of death has yet to be determined pending a post-mortem examination.
The NTPF stated that the incident is being treated as a death in custody since the individual was in the custody of the AFP at the time he lost consciousness.
The Northern Territory Police Force is proceeding with the investigation on behalf of the Coroner.
An NTPF representative confirmed that the deceased was Aboriginal and a resident of the Northern Territory.
Notifications have been made to his next of kin.
An AFP spokesperson clarified that individuals in protective custody are not under arrest and indicated that the man was not restrained during his time under their care.
He had been detained pursuant to the public intoxication section of the NT Police Administration Act, with the intent of monitoring him as he sobered up.
While en route to the hospital, he displayed no medical concerns; however, he experienced a serious medical episode shortly after admission.
The death marks the second incident of a death in custody within a fortnight in the Northern Territory, following the death of 24-year-old Kumanjayi White on May 27. Reports indicate that White, an Aboriginal man from the Yuendumu community, died after being restrained by plain-clothes officers while allegedly shoplifting at a supermarket in Alice Springs.
His death has prompted ongoing nationwide rallies advocating for justice and an independent inquiry.
The officers involved in the latest incident are being supported by AFP welfare officers as investigations continue.