For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources. Cameron Doomadgee was an obscure man living an obscure life, but his demise had a gravity that sucked in countless strands of modern and historical Australia. Australia: Police Response to Aboriginal Death in Custody and Ensuing Riot Ruled Discriminatory. [16] Part of the flown in police contingent was the tactical response group who wore riot shields, balaclavas and helmets with face-masks, Glock pistol at the hip and a shotgun or semi-automatic rifle in their right hand. Witness Patrick Bramwell hangs himself on Palm Island. Hurley drove her to the house in the police vehicle. Cameron Doomadgee (who was also known by his tribal name of Mulrunji) was a resident of Palm Island. Complaints were made that Aboriginal Legal Aid had been denied access to the Island. 16 barristers and solicitors appeared representing the Queensland Government, the Doomadgee family, the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Queensland Police Service. "The kids that roam the streets at night, they would have wrecked it. It was reasoned that if they stayed in a different community in Townsville there was a low likelihood of re-offending. [30], On 8 February 2005 an initial one-day directions hearing for a full coronial inquiry into the death in custody was held. The letter stated that the branch was active in organising protests against the Premier and his upcoming opening of a new Queensland Police Youth Club facility on Palm Island. In achieving these objectives, issues such as drug and alcohol abuse and unemployment would also be addressed.[56]. (Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Foreign Fighters) Bill 2014, Parliament We observe International Women's Day by highlighting several Australian women who had key roles in bringing about a 1967 constitutional referendum related to indigenous people. In addition, a subgroup of people were also represented, being those who were affected by an operation carried out by armed officers of the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) on 27 and 28 November 2004, and which included children who were in or near the houses that were entered and searched by SERT officers. (Id. Deputy Coroner Christine Clements finds Snr Sgt Hurley responsible for Mulrunji's fatal injuries. Gladys requested that Hurley accompany her so that she could safely get medication from Bramwell's house. Almost 10 years ago Cameron Doomadgee died in police custody on Palm Island. [31], Barnes had previously been the Aboriginal Legal Aid solicitor for two families before the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. [13] He had spent the morning investigating complaints by sisters Gladys, Andrea and Anna Nugent that Roy Bramwell had assaulted them. Lawyers for Chris Hurley appeal to Queensland's District Court to overturn Deputy Coroner Christine Clement's 26 September 2006 findings that he had fatally injured Mulurunji. The inquest proceedings are stalled after allegations of bias are made against Mr Barnes. U.S. Reports: Wright v. Georgia, 373 U.S. 284 (1963). [18] ), Cameron Doomadgee (commonly called Mulrunji), a 36-year-old Aboriginal man, died in police custody on Palm Island on November 19, 2004. Forty-two minutes later a second police officer observed that Mulrunji was a strange colour and was cold to the touch. "I don't regret what happened at that particular time," he said. ), Mulrunjis autopsy showed that he died of major internal injuries. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains the name and image of someone who has died. ), The president of the Queensland Police Union disagreed with the ruling, saying that the police response was appropriate in the circumstances and [p]olice who serve in Indigenous communities are not racist, and purely because of someones Aboriginality do not treat anyone differently . [11] It was lifted two days later, just before the Premier's arrival. It has even been earmarked by the State Government for development into a tourism mecca. It explores what happened when Cameron Doomadgee, a 36-yr old Indigenous man was found dead in a Palm Island police station, with injuries that didn't reasonably fit with tripping into the station's step, as the Police had claimed. "And everyone also wanted a fair and impartial investigation into what really happened.". He appeared intoxicated and was swearing at the police. [8], For the following week public meetings were held on the Island due to anger rising in the community about the death. [26], By 6 December 2004, 19 accused were granted bail by the Queensland Chief Magistrate. The Attorney-General of Queensland, Kerry Shine, indicted an Australian police officer for a criminal trial for the first time since the public prosecutor's office was established. But as the story progresses the moral ground tilts. Meanwhile Mulrunji taunted Bengaroo with words to the effect of "why does he help lock up his own people?". U.S. Reports: Shuttlesworth v. Birmingham, 394 U.S. 147 (1969). November 19: Cameron Doomadgee, 36, dies in custody at Palm Island police station after being . [72][73][74], In 2012 filmmaker Tony Krawitz, won the Walkley Foundation Long-form Journalism: Documentary award for his documentary film based on Hooper's book, titled The Tall Man. Purchase: When Cameron Doomadgee was found dead in the Palm Island police station, his injuries were like those of someone who'd been in a fatal car crash. The Coroner later stated that the autopsy was "far too sensitive and private" to be publicly released. [6], In 2020 a memorial plaque to Mulrinji was erected by Palm Island Aboriginal Council outside the police station on Palm Island, reading:[84].mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, In memory of Mulrinji / whose life was tragically taken on 19th November 2004. Yanner and Foster refused to cooperate with the investigation. no semblance of understanding" about the context of the Palm Island community's distress and anger as to what had happened to Mulrunji and the progress of the investigation . A damning 2016 Federal Court ruling found the Queensland Police breached the Racial Discrimination Act with its investigation into his death and subsequent unrest on the island. In response, residents took to the streets and burnt down buildings, including the police station. He was taken into custody by Senior Sargeant Chris Hurley, accompanied by the Indigenous Liaison Police officer Lloyd Bengaroo. 13.05 MB. [36], Leanne Clare, the Queensland Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), announced on 14 December 2006 that no charges would be laid as there was no evidence proving that Hurley was responsible for Mulrunji's death. In 2011 a documentary was made. Hours later he was dead from massive internal injuries including broken ribs and a ruptured spleen, and his liver was so badly damaged it was almost cleaved in two across his spine. [58], Sen. Sgt. [50], The Attorney General and appellants submitted that if punching is set aside there should be an inevitable finding that the fatal injuries were due to a deliberate application of force by Chris Hurley after the fall, e.g. Lex Wotton speaks out. Queensland's then premier Peter Beattie declared a state of emergency and dozens of riot squad members were flown in to control the crowd. "[5], The raids, found to be racist, resulted in a record $30 million class action settlement. [90], On 1 March 2005 the CMC released its draft report, finding that the office of the Minister for Indigenous Affairs had lied over the airfare affair to avoid short-term political embarrassment, sending a deliberately misleading statement to The Australian. The police who had been stationed on the island indicated through the Union that they did not wish to return to Island duties. [8] The videotape footage from the cell shows Hurley checking for breathing and pulse then "sliding down the wall of the cell until he sat with his face in his hands". [1] The death of Mulrunji led to civic disturbances on the island and a legal, political and media sensation that continued for fourteen years. Crime and Misconduct Commission announces a review of policing in indigenous communities. In response to the coroner's findings, Queensland Police Union president Gary Wilkinson was highly critical, saying that the coroner's use of "unreliable evidence from a drunk" was "simply unbelievable". They appeared before the Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday 29 November 2004, the first business day after the riot. This page is not available in other languages. [15], During the weekend the tactical response group searched many homes. The strong police presence was not welcome on the island. Hurley v. [42] This was the first time since the public prosecutor's office was established in Queensland that anyone other than the DPP made a decision concerning whether or not to indict an individual. [10], An autopsy report by Coroner Michael Barnes was produced for the family one week after the death. "There will always be tension because there's not enough communication between police and community. / Now at peace / #blacklivesmatter#, In November 2020, the memorial was moved to the garden of his sister, Valmai Aplin, as it was getting vandalised by children in its earlier location, just before the anniversary of Mulrinji's death. I am comfortably satisfied QPS officers would not have taken a similar approach, in any of the respects I have outlined above, if a tragedy such as this had occurred in an isolated non-Aboriginal community in Queensland. Jury acquits Hurley on manslaughter and assault charges. [94] When the Premier opened the centre he was met with a generally hostile reception. (Palm Island Death in Custody Timeline, SYDNEY MORNING HERALD (June 20, 2007). Councillor Lacey agreed Palm Island was a different place now. Conditions were imposed such as not being allowed to return to Palm Island, not even for the funeral of Mulrunji. Justice Kerry Cullinane sets down a two-week trial to start on 12 June in the Townsville Supreme Court for Snr Sgt Hurley. (Palm Island Riots: Federal Court Finds Police Acted with Impunity in Racial Discrimination Lawsuit,supra.) The Palm Islanders rioted and burnt down the police station. What really happened to Cameron Doomadgee? [citation needed], After several days of media and public pressure, Queensland Attorney-General, Kerry Shine, appointed retired Justice Pat Shanahan to review the DPP's decision not to lay charges against the police officer. A CMC report leaked to the media reportedly recommends that 7 officers will face charges. "I'd like to see it being a nice little, nice prosperous town, a lot of employment in the town, investment in the town. Townsville District Court Judge Bob Pack hands down a ruling upholding Chris Hurley's appeal and ordering a fresh inquest in Mulurunji's death. Dozens of police officers are flown into Palm Island. Officers tried to barricade themselves as they were attacked with sticks and rocks, and told to leave the island. Queensland Police Union President Denis Fitzpatrick demanded the rioters be charged with attempted murder of 12 police. Cameron's brother Lloyd Doomadgee. [3][4][2], In 2010, Hurley was forced to repay $34,980 in insurance payments after allegations of insurance fraud following the 2004 riot.[75]. [16] They appeared to have jumped to a conclusion given their description of the death as "cold blooded murder". In 2004 on Palm Island, an Aboriginal settlement in the "Deep North" of Australia, a thirty-six-year-old man named Cameron Doomadgee was arrested for swearing at a white police officer. Show An hour earlier he was very much alive, singing along the street. [16], The volatile situation was attributed to the lack of consultation with the family and community combined with the premature public release of the autopsy report. [13], When Mulrunji's sister brought lunch for him to the front section of the police station, she was not informed of events and was told to leave. Cars and machinery were driven onto the runway, blocking all aircraft movement. In his submissions to the Committee, Hurley pointed out the lack of an alcohol diversionary centre on Palm Island. Web Page. "What I hope is that those learnings have made us better, and certainly I would hope we can prove to the community that we have taken those learnings very seriously.". Mr Doomadgee died from massive internal injuries in a police cell on the island in November 2004. [27], Four people were prosecuted for the riot and were acquitted. U.S. Reports: Hamm v. City of Rock Hill, 379 U.S. 306 (1964). 26 November 2004 Doomadgee's autopsy results indicate that he died from internal injuries, with the island's pathologist claiming they are the result of "a fall". They advised that "The Commission has determined that the evidence would not be capable of proving before any disciplinary tribunal that Senior Sergeant Hurley was responsible for Mulrunji's death". (Dec. 9, 2016) On December 5, 2016, the Federal Court of Australia found in favor of an Aboriginal community from Palm Island, Queensland, in a class action case involving claims that officers of the Queensland Police Service (QPS) engaged in racial discrimination in responding to a riot that took place in 2004 following the death of an Aboriginal man in police custody. You see terrible things happening to people without any remedies and theres so much disillusionment in the Indigenous community because they just dont get a fair go under our legal system. [84], Then Queensland Indigenous Policy Minister Liddy Clark offered for activist Murandoo Yanner and Carpentaria Land Council chief executive Brad Foster to accompany her to Palm Island in the weeks after the riot. [11][16], As the riot occurred during the school lunch break, it was witnessed by many children. Hurley then reentered the car and talked with Bengaroo briefly. The family also hired a private investigator to conduct an independent investigation of the death. "Everyone in the end really wanted to know what really happened. (Quebec (Commission (Mar. [11], Initially 13 Palm Islanders were arrested and charged. [41], The review resulted in the overturning of the DPP's decision, with Street finding there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Hurley with manslaughter. Coronial inquiry into Mulrunji's death begins. The pathologist who conducted a post-mortem compared Mr Doomadgee's injuries with those of plane crash victims. Palm Island death in custody: Community still struggling to deal with memories 10 years on. Criminal Misconduct Commission announces that no disciplinary charges will be laid against Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley over Mulrunji's death. Instead they ordered that the Coronial Inquiry be reopened to re-examine the facts as the original Coronial Inquiry findings were set aside. Even the (Aboriginal) volunteer fire brigade had stones thrown at them while they tried to put out the courthouse and police station fires. While Gladys retrieved her medication, Patrick Bramwell was outside. Doomadgee died a painful death on the floor of a police cell on the island, a former penal institution for Aboriginal people, less than an hour after being locked up, for no good reason, by. The Minister Liddy Clark, who was a former Play School presenter, immediately resigned from the Cabinet to become a backbencher. Lawyers for both the Doomadgee family and Hurley asked that the Coroner disqualify himself (although for different reasons). (Federal Court of Australia, Wotton v State of Queensland (No 5) [2016] FCA 1457: Summary (Mortimer J, Dec. 5, 2016), Federal Court of Australia website. He said that due to the unreliability of police and Aboriginal witnesses he could not make a definitive finding. Australia: Police Response to Aboriginal Death in Custody and Ensuing Riot Ruled Discriminatory. According to statements an ambulance was then called taking fifteen minutes to arrive. Fellow Palm Islander Patrick Bramwell was placed in the adjoining cell. [83] Police actions were later found to breach the Racial Discrimination Act, with the raids being "unnecessary, disproportionate" and police having "acted in these ways because they were dealing with an Aboriginal community. In response to the findings, riots break out on the island. William Neville Blackman, John Major Clumpoint, Dwayne Daniel Blanket, and Lance Gabriel Poynter are found not guilty of rioting with destruction by a Brisbane Supreme Court jury. A 36 year old Aboriginal man, Cameron Doomadgee, is arrested for swearing at a police officer. Web Page. "There's no trust, but all you can do is work together to change things.". [27] His comment was criticized as hypocritical and systematic of "one rule for us and one for whites and that's a racist legal system where the cops get their way" by Burketown [71], In 2010, artist Vernon Ah Kee created a four-screen video installation at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, entitled Tall Man. Retrieved from the Library of Congress,
Master Clue Average Reward Rs3,
Woonsocket Police Log 2020,
Thompson M1a1 Receiver Blueprints,
Articles W
