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  • 2 years ago
A warning this next story contains the name of an Indigenous person who has died. Former Northern Territory police Constable Zachary Rolfe has been forced to answer questions about the night he fatally shot an Indigenous man during an attempted arrest in 2019. It comes after his legal team launched a last-minute argument that his evidence could expose him to further prosecution.

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00:00 In his third day of tense questioning at the coronial inquest into the death of Walpree
00:06 LaRitcher man Kumonjai Walker, Zachary Rolfe's barrister leapt to his feet on several occasions,
00:12 including to make an objection against Mr Rolfe being asked any questions about the
00:16 night he shot Kumonjai Walker.
00:19 Michael Abbott KC had argued his client should not be compelled to give evidence about the
00:23 night Mr Walker was killed due to concerns of self-incrimination, telling the coroner
00:28 any evidence provided by Mr Rolfe about the night he fired three shots inside a Yundamoo
00:33 home could be used in a derivative way in future court proceedings.
00:38 Mr Rolfe was of course found not guilty in 2022 of all charges relating to Mr Walker's
00:44 death, but Mr Abbott KC said his client could nonetheless be exposed to future litigation,
00:50 including civil action, noting the Supreme Court verdict only related to the second and
00:55 third shots he fired at Mr Walker, raising concerns of prosecution over the first and
01:01 other civil litigation.
01:03 But Coroner Elizabeth Armitage rejected Mr Rolfe's application, telling the court although
01:08 there was a theoretical possibility of prosecution, she believed it was remote.
01:13 She also gave little weight to concerns raised about the possibility of civil action against
01:18 Mr Rolfe.
01:19 Zachary Rolfe is now well and truly into his third day of examination, and questions have
01:24 now turned to the night Mr Walker was killed.
01:27 There are still a handful of barristers and representatives for Mr Walker's family to
01:31 pose questions to Mr Rolfe, so there are a long few days in court ahead.
01:37 Mr Rolfe is expected to continue answering questions until Friday.
01:40 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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