Australian judge orders policeman to stand trial for murder
Oct 26, 2020
An Australian judge has ordered a police officer to stand trial for the murder of an Indigenous man who was shot three times in an Outback township last year
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — An Australian judge on Monday ordered a police officer to stand trial for murder over the killing of an Indigenous man who was shot three times in an Outback township last year.
Judge John Birch ordered Northern Territory constable Zachary Rolfe to stand trial following a three-day preliminary hearing in the Alice Springs Local Court.
Rolfe, 29, is living at his parents’ home in Canberra while free on bail and attended court via a video link from the Australian Capital Territory Magistrates Court.
He was suspended from the police force with pay after he was charged with murder in the days following Kumanjayi Walker’s death at the Yuendumu Indigenous settlement in central Australia on Nov. 9.
The 19-year-old’s death was protested at rallies around Australia that followed the death in police custody of George Floyd, a Black man, in the United States in May.
Rolfe was part of a four-member elite Immediate Response Team that drove 290 kilometers (180 miles) from Alice Springs into the Tanami Desert to arrest Walker.
The preliminary hearing in September heard evidence that Walker wounded Rolfe and his partner Adam Eberl with a pair of scissors in a darkened room.
Rolfe allegedly shot Walker with a Glock pistol three times as Walker grappled with Eberl. Prosecutors alleged the second and third shots were not justified.
Rolfe has not been required to enter a plea but denies any wrongdoing. He will make his first appearance in the Northern Territory Supreme Court by video on Nov. 25.
A trial would likely be held next year. Rolfe faces a potential life sentence if convicted.
More News
‘I don’t care’: Inside Jensen Huang’s last hours as Nvidia CEO
At the end, Jensen Huang looked broken and shattered, his legendary energy depleted.
I worked part-time at David Jones. I know exactly why the business failed
Lift operators, bra fitters and lying sales assistants – I mourn you all.
How Elon Musk drove the Cybertruck and Tesla’s ambitions off a cliff
Elon Musk’s passion project crashed and burned. Its demise carries a lot of weight,
M.J. Bale axed its retail boss while she was on maternity leave. Now she’s fighting back
The Australian menswear retailer made its high-flying retail boss redundant days before her scheduled return from parental leave.
‘Either brave or mad’: A bastion of fine dining gets a sorely needed facelift
Rob and Tammy Charter had other ideas about how they wanted to spend post-work life. Like buying a heritage pub.
This Qantas jet was hit by lightning. It’s still grounded two weeks later
Pictures show the damage left by a lightning bolt, with charred areas of the skin and mesh exposed, on a plane that arrived in Melbourne from Los Angeles last month.
There has never been another scandal like this
Here’s a look at some of the most famous corporate scandals in history. Jensen Huang is really in a league of his own.
Hall of shame: Jensen Huang joins the list of CEOs brought down by affairs
The “close personal relationship” has been the downfall of a number of chief executives over the years.
Australian shares limp across the line to end week higher
The sharemarket has risen for six of the past seven weeks despite a weak finish in the final session.
Right Resources puts tungsten twist on historic NSW goldfields
Right Resources is chasing a gold and tungsten double in NSW’s historic Tumbarumba goldfields, armed with promising assays, early metallurgy and modern exploration.
The superchip genius or the big name wildcard? Eight contenders to replace Huang as Nvidia’s CEO
Nvidia chief Jensen Huang has resigned from the chipmaker he co-founded after reports of extramarital affairs made the spotlight.
Australian Gold and Copper lands NSW multi-metal bonanza
Australian Gold and Copper has struck rich polymetallic mineralisation at Evergreen in NSW, hitting 16m at 2.3g/t gold and 1.4% copper, including a 6.2% copper kicker.