Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt flew to Alice Springs on Thursday calling for calm as anger and grief grew over the fatal police shooting of a young Aboriginal man in a remote community.
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Ex-Canberra man Constable Zachary Rolfe was charged with murder on Wednesday over the shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker in the town of Yuendumu, about 300 kilometres from Alice Springs, on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old, who has been released on bail intends to plead not guilty, arrived in Adelaide on Thursday night and avoided questions from the media.
Constable Rolfe's parents are prominent Canberrans Debbie and Richard Rolfe.
Mrs Rolfe is a partner at law firm Maliganis Edwards Johnson. Mr Rolfe is the dealer principal of Audi Centre Canberra.
They were both made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2017 Queen's Birthday honours list for their philanthropic support of many organisations.
Mrs Rolfe is also chair of the Canberra Hospital Foundation.
The Red Hill couple were also ACT Local Hero finalists in the 2014 Australian of the Year awards for their service to the Canberra community.
Mr Wyatt met with elders in Alice Springs on Thursday afternoon amid days of organised protests around the country.
"My thoughts are with all those directly involved and their families, as well as the broader community," he said in a statement.
"The incident is now subject to a judicial process, as it should be. Now is not the time for blame. Now is the time to care for those that need it most in our community. It is a time for compassion."
Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner and Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker, who was new to the role on Monday, echoed those sentiments on Thursday.
"This is an incredibly sad time for all. It is a time of high emotion," Mr Gunner said. "What I ask for right here, right now, is that everyone remain respectful and peaceful to each other."
It will be alleged Constable Rolfe and another police officer had gone inside a home to arrest Mr Walker for alleged breaches of his suspended sentence when the fatal shooting took place.
At the time Northern Territory Police said Mr Walker lunged at an officer and stabbed him with a weapon, but his family disputed that version.
Constable Rolfe was granted bail in an out-of-session court hearing and is due to reappear in court on December 19. "The officer has been suspended on pay," a statement from NT Police said. "As this matter is before the court, no further information will be released."
While community and activists felt a sense of relief, several bus loads of people from Yuendumu and Central Desert communities were arriving in Alice Springs on Thursday to protest.
Priscilla Atkins, chief executive of legal service the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency which is supporting the Warlpiri community, said the murder charge came as a shock.
"I think the Commissioner as well as the Chief Minister wanted to take action quite quickly because there was such an outrage and it wasn't just in that community - it was across the Northern Territory and Australia-wide as well. People wanted answers," Ms Atkins said.
Evidence recorded by body cameras as well as witnesses would have also contributed, she said.
"It is a relief to the Aboriginal people in Yuendumu. All they wanted at the end of the day was the truth," Ms Atkins said.
Mr Walker's family called for an "independent investigation" in the aftermath of his death and requested to see police bodycam footage. They also asked NT Police to leave the community.
But the Northern Territory Police Association has hit back at the Chief Minister's response and defended the "decorated" Constable Rolfe.
"Mr Gunner neither witnessed the incident, nor was privy to sensitive matters crucial to the investigation in the early stages, so his comments [that consequences will flow from the investigation] are unfounded and appear to be based purely on the need to satisfy an audience," the association's president Paul McCue said.
Constable Rolfe has made it clear he will plead not guilty and will "vigorously contest the charge", the association said in a statement. "He, like all, has the presumption of innocence in his favour. The member and his family have [our] complete support."
Ms Atkins acknowledged there is still a "long road ahead". "As long as the investigation continues to be independent, transparent and thorough, we'll be happy with that," she said.
Senior community members who travelled to Alice Springs have urged for calm from the beginning and, despite fiery rhetoric, they have succeeded.
Robin Granites told the crowd at Alice Springs they wanted justice to be done and for the court proceedings to run their due course.
Another senior Warlpiri man, Harry Nelson, called for better cultural awareness training for remote police. He also hoped Mr Walker's death would provide the spark for change over community control and training for young people.
"We want to know the truth. No more lies. That incident last week hit us like a rocket. We didn't know what to do, we were shocked," he said. "When we get proper recognition from government, eventually they [white bureaucracy] will leave and we will have control over our destiny."
- SMH/The Age
