First Peoples Disability Network (FPDN) stands in solidarity with the Warlpiri family of Kumanjayi White, the 24-year-old man with cognitive disability who died on 27 May while being restrained by two plain-clothes NT Police officers in an Alice Springs supermarket.
We echo the family’s demands for:
- A fully independent investigation—removed from NT Police control
- Immediate public release of all CCTV and body-worn-camera footage to the family
- Suspension of the officers involved while inquiries proceed
- An end to public statements that denigrate or criminalise Kumanjayi White
“Kumanjayi’s death sits at the tragic intersection of racism and ableism. Every statistic is a life; every life should matter.” Said Damian Griffis, FPDN CEO, “Kumanjayi was a young man with significant disability who needed culturally safe support, not force. The NT Police cannot investigate themselves. Australia has seen too many families left without answers and too many inquiries that gather dust.”
Across the country, vigils and rallies are taking place. FPDN highlights the tragic fact that the passing of Mr White brings the number of First Nations persons to die in custody perilously close to 600 since the 1991 Royal Commission – yet not one police officer has been held criminally responsible. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live with disability at nearly double the national rate (25.3%) and are dramatically over-policed, compounding risk of harm.
We welcome the Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Malarndirri McCarthy public statement that “calls for an independent investigation may be warranted…” and that it may be an “…opportune time to have something different, to provide that separation and clarity,” especially given the recent compounding trauma for the community of Yuendumu.
Damian Griffis said “A commitment to an arm’s-length inquiry sends a powerful signal that truth and accountability come first. FPDN stands ready to work with any government to ensure a process that centres disability expertise and cultural safety.”
NT authorities have so far resisted external scrutiny, insisting an internal investigation is sufficient. This impasse underscores the need for Commonwealth intervention in this matter.
Systemic context
- Disability and guardianship: Mr White was living under public guardianship and on an NDIS plan in Alice Springs at the time of his death – a stark example of how First Nations people with disability are removed from Country and kin instead of receiving supports that allow them to thrive at home.
- Police culture: Advocates note disturbing parallels with the 2019 shooting of Kumanjayi Walker and the 2015 restraint death of David Dungay Jr, underscoring a pattern of excessive force and racism.
- Accountability gap: Despite 597 recorded Indigenous deaths in custody, no police officer has been convicted, eroding public confidence and traumatising communities generation after generation.
FPDN’s continued calls to governments and justice system leaders
- Adopt all Disability Royal Commission justice recommendations by 30 June 2026, with co-design led by First Nations people with disability.
- Fund First Nations Community-Controlled Disability Justice Hubs to provide early intervention, crisis de-escalation and post-custody support across the NT and other high-need regions.
- Introduce real-time public reporting of deaths and serious incidents in custody, disaggregated by Indigeneity and disability.
- Align NT policing practice with Closing the Gap Priority Reforms, including shared decision making and culturally safe service delivery.
“Kumanjayi’s name must be the last added to a list that is already far too long. Anything less is a failure of duty, of empathy, and of our national conscience” concluded Mr Griffis.
About First Peoples Disability Network
FPDN is the national peak organisation led by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with disability. We advocate for the human rights of 60,000+ First Nations people with disability and their families and work to ensure policies, programs and services are culturally safe, accessible and anchored in self-determination.
FPDN CEO Damian Griffis is available for further comment and interviews.
For all media enquires please contact:
FPDN Media Team
Email: [email protected] or Mobile: 0429 291 730
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