NT Police Decline Charges in Kumanjayi White Custody Death

Northern Territory police said Tuesday that prosecutors will not file charges against officers involved in the 2025 death of Kumanjayi White, a 24-year-old Warlpiri man who died while being restrained at a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs. Police said the Department of Public Prosecutions declined to lay charges after reviewing the investigation, citing insufficient evidence to proceed.

The decision has distressed White’s family and prompted renewed concern in parts of the Indigenous community.

Police said White, who lived with cognitive disabilities, died on May 27, 2025 during a confrontation that began after an alleged shoplifting incident and an altercation with a security guard. Plainclothes officers intervened and White died while being restrained, police said.

Police Commissioner Martin Dole said a brief of evidence, including an independent expert report, was provided to the Director of Public Prosecutions for an opinion. Dole said the DPP concluded there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution based on the available evidence.

Dole said investigators sought to resource and conduct the inquiry thoroughly and fairly. He acknowledged the outcome would cause “significant distress, pain and anger” for White’s family and for many Aboriginal people across Central Australia and the Northern Territory.

Civil claim and coronial investigation

White’s family is pursuing a civil lawsuit against Northern Territory police, alleging the officers involved acted unlawfully in apprehending him and taking him into custody. Police said the criminal-charges decision does not end other legal and investigative processes related to the death.

A mandatory coronial investigation is expected to proceed at a later date. Police said it will draw on all available evidence, including any CCTV footage and other material gathered during the investigation.

Community impact and official response

Dole said communities in Central Australia have been under strain in recent weeks and that the decision comes during a period of mourning in the region. Deputy Director of Cultural Reform Leanne Liddle said White’s family was being provided with support.

Police urged the community to respond peacefully and respectfully, and said further proceedings, including the coronial process, will set out the next public steps in examining White’s death.