As he had no visible injuries at the time of his arrest, there was an autopsy that revealed massive internal injuries. At the age of 63 they set off for one more trip to Mount Sinai. "We wanted to make certain there was law and order to protect the community.". [53] Prosecutor Peter Davis suggested that this (the fact of giving a shorter estimate in court not the out of court attempt to get a more accurate estimate) was an attempt to sabotage prosecutors. Mr Wotton said many people still lacked trust in the police, but he acknowledged the effort was being made. The Premier accepted responsibility for giving "a new minister such a tough portfolio". The inquest proceedings are stalled after allegations of bias are made against Mr Barnes. I have found they conducted themselves, including Senior Sergeant Hurley while he was there, with a sense of impunity, impervious to the reactions and perceptions of Palm Islanders who were, in large numbers, distressed and agitated about the death of Mulrunji. "I'd like to see it being a nice little, nice prosperous town, a lot of employment in the town, investment in the town. Cameron Doomadgee (who was also known by his tribal name of Mulrunji) was a resident of Palm Island. Clark maintained that she had never spoken to Yanner or Foster, that she had not directed her Senior Policy Advisor to politically cover for her with the alleged deal and that Yanner and Foster were definitely told that they would have to pay the airfare back. Coronial inquiry into Mulrunji's death begins. Palm Islanders riot. Mr Wotton was later convicted of inciting a riot and served 19 months in jail before being released on parole, which he only completed earlier this year. Ms Aplin said she never wanted to forget Mr Doomadgee. [20] The local courthouse, police station, Hurley's home and the police barracks were burned down. While Gladys retrieved her medication, Patrick Bramwell was outside. The officer, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, who was charged for a death in custody, was acquitted by the jury in June 2007. In response an angry mob burned down the police . [6], Later the same day approximately 80 additional police from Townsville and Cairns were flown to Palm Island to restore order. The song was to be released as part of their 2007 album Dream Days at the Hotel Existence. [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. I am the same", and that they would both respond with fists when confronted or challenged, portraying a cop who some years ago had confronted and overcome his own inherent racism while working in the Torres Strait. The inquiry would begin on 28 February 2005. For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources. Mulrunji's death was repeatedly branded "cold-blooded murder". [34], In late September 2006, Clements found that Doomadgee was killed as a result of punches by Hurley. Hurley case begins in Townsville Supreme Court. [40] Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Sir Laurence Street, was selected to review the decision not to charge Hurley over the death of Mulrunji. [8], The arresting officer, Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, and the Indigenous police liaison officer, Lloyd Bengaroo, were flown off the island the following Monday, after receiving death threats and Hurley's house being burned down. Wotton initially pleaded guilty to the charge of rioting, and was found guilty at trial. The Palm Islanders rioted and burnt down the police station. [23] The Palm Islanders faced charges of riot, arson and assault. His grandmother complained to Hurley, who then arrested him. Here's what they think of a Voice to Parliament, Nationals join forces with farmers to oppose multi-billion-dollar Victoria-NSW renewable energy project, Prime minister says urgent care clinics will start relieving pressure on NT's busy emergency wards in coming months. Mulrunji was affected by alcohol and struggled with Hurley, leading to a fall near the door to the police station. [62] As a result he was charged with contempt of court by the Attorney General. Here's what they think of a Voice to Parliament, Nationals join forces with farmers to oppose multi-billion-dollar Victoria-NSW renewable energy project, Prime minister says urgent care clinics will start relieving pressure on NT's busy emergency wards in coming months. Cameron Doomadgee, 36, died in the Palm Island watch-house in 2004 after being arrested by Queensland police Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley. Mulrunji visited his new baby niece early on the morning of 19 November 2004; He was drinking beer at the time but was not considered to be drunk; He was carrying a bucket with a mud crab which he was going to sell; He then walked from his mother and sister's house to Dee Street where he was picked up; He was walking along the street singing ". (. The letter even hinted at a desire among members to defect to the Liberal Party, stating that under Labor living conditions have not improved on the island, and life expectancy had fallen. Beattie said that this reaction was to be expected because of current tensions with the community about police, however facilities like this were a way of building better relations between the community and the police. [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. He was arrested by Senior Sargent Chris Hurley, accompanied by the Indigenous liaison police officer Lloyd Bengaroo, and was taken into custody. [47][48], On 17 December 2008 District Court Judge Bob Pack, in Townsville, ruled that Clements' finding "..was against the weight of the evidence..",[47][48] so upholding Hurley's appeal, requiring a new coronial inquiry and outraging local Aboriginal people who feared this would "..only dig up buried bones..". (Bramwell was an exclusive witness for only 6 to 10 seconds, and volunteered incriminating evidence at the Coronial hearing that Hurley punched Mulrunji. Buchanan, Kelly. "[5], The raids, found to be racist, resulted in a record $30 million class action settlement. This year, hundreds of Palm Islanders affected by the events received compensation as part of a $30 million State Government class action settlement. Web Page. [66] More specifically the ad stated: "Zimbabwe is a good example of what could happen where politicians override the laws to suit themselves. Queensland police halt plans to march on state parliament over Snr Sgt Hurley being charged after Premier Peter Beattie accedes to demands for closed circuit cameras in watchhouses in Aboriginal communities. "We wouldn't have [decorated] it down there," Ms Aplin said. Hurley then reentered the car and talked with Bengaroo briefly. She awarded AU$220,000 (about US$164,000) in damages to the applicants. A number of others involved in the riot also faced criminal proceedings. The death in custody led to three coronial inquests, a review by the Crime and Misconduct Commission in Queensland, two reviews by the QPS, criminal proceedings against Senior Sergeant Hurley in which he was acquitted of manslaughter, and litigation by police officers about potential disciplinary action against them. (Summary, supra. Palm Island Mayor Alf Lacey said it had been difficult to rebuild trust between police and residents in the years since then. By Damien Carrick on Law Report. AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), abc.net.au/news/palm-island-community-still-struggling-after-death-in-custody/5901028, Jock Zonfrillo remembered as an 'incredible chef' and icon of Australia's culinary landscape, Jock Zonfrillo, celebrated chef and judge on MasterChef Australia, dies aged 46, Russian freight train derails after being hit by explosive device, governor says, Donald Trump requests mistrial in rape accuser Carroll's civil case, Tony Abbott mounts attack on Voice after a spat with parliamentary committee, 'The worm goes global': Rita Ora wowed by Adelaide lobbyist's dancefloor moves, Female teacher admits sexual offences against teen student, fights 10 other charges, Major route into the Kokoda track appears to have been blockaded amid tour operator feud, New Zealand PM in favour of country becoming a republic, which he only completed earlier this year, US authorities 'auction' First Republic Bank after second biggest bank failure in history, Nurse driving home from shift among victims of triple-fatal crash involving allegedly stolen car, Lauren Cranston jailed for eight years over one of Australia's biggest tax frauds, 'They will forever know their dad was a hero': 1,000 mourners farewell slain NSW paramedic, Family of man shot dead by police question why they weren't called in to help, There are 11 First Nations MPs and senators. Within an hour Mr Doomadgee was found dead in a cell at Palm Island police station. He is drunk, and as they arrive at the station he strikes Senior Sergeant Christopher Hurley in the face. [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. (Summary,supra.). [88] The CMC demanded that the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) hand over the tapes and backup tapes of particular interviews with Yanner and Foster which were central to the investigation, the interviews then had to be deleted from ABC audio and computers. [27], Four people were prosecuted for the riot and were acquitted. He believed that the evidence left room for a finding that a knee drop may have occurred. [11][16], As the riot occurred during the school lunch break, it was witnessed by many children. Conditions were imposed such as not being allowed to return to Palm Island, not even for the funeral of Mulrunji. "I think that's something at the end of the day that we have to live with.". The subsequent trial of Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley - who had been decorated . He was then dragged limp and unresponsive into a cell and died within the next hour. The racial aspects of the story are alarming, so too is the idea that police can act with impunity. "There will always be tension because there's not enough communication between police and community. Fellow Palm Islander Patrick Bramwell was placed in the adjoining cell. Chris Hurley receives a confidential payout of A$102,955 from the Queensland Government. It has even been earmarked by the State Government for development into a tourism mecca. [3][4][2], Police raids and behaviour following the community riot were found to have breached the Racial Discrimination Act 1975,[5] with a record class action settlement of A$30 million awarded to victims in May 2018.[6][7]. "Just hope nobody goes through that, what we went through, especially on this island.". Officers tried to barricade themselves as they were attacked with sticks and rocks, and told to leave the island. (, I have found that police acted in these ways because they were dealing with an Aboriginal community, and with the community of Palm Island in particular. He was taken into custody by Senior Sargeant Chris Hurley, accompanied by the Indigenous Liaison Police officer Lloyd Bengaroo. Later the timing of the "emergency" was disputed by lawyers for the Palm Island community. . (Wotton v State of Queensland (No 5) [2016] FCA 1457, Federal Court of Australia website.) After the trial concluded the Union released advertisements against the Beattie Queensland government, comparing the government to Robert Mugabe and his government. Hurley drove her to the house in the police vehicle. The death of Mulrunji Doomadgee and the illusion of postcolonial Australia SARAH KEENAN REFERENCES 1. [89], Even though the Minister had already personally paid the cost of the airfare the Queensland Government ministerial services still pursued Yanner and Foster for the money on behalf of Ms. Clark however they refused to pay. On November 19th 2004, Cameron Doomadgee, also known as Mulrunji, was arrested for allegedly causing a public nuisance. "I think it taught everyone to do a real audit on themselves, particularly the Queensland Police Service (QPS) to do an audit on its own self," he said. [93][94], The Government agreed in advance that the Centre would no longer have the word "Police" in its title however the opening by the Premier was to proceed as planned. The case arose from the 2004 death in custody of Mulrunji, previously known as Cameron Doomadgee, whose treatment sparked riots on the island. In mid-February 2005 Chris Hurley resumed duties after three months on paid leave. Australia: Police Response to Aboriginal Death in Custody and Ensuing Riot Ruled Discriminatory. 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. Main points from media reports after interviews with residents and relatives stated: Hurley is a white Australian who was also aged 36 at the time of the incident. They quoted the Coroner's observations about the cause of death and that the "consensus of medical opinion was that severe compressive force applied to the upper abdomen, or possibly the lower chest, or both together, was required to have caused this injury", and that "medical witnesses were asked to consider whether the application of a knee or an elbow, whilst [the deceased] was on the hard flat surface, either during or separate to the fall could have caused the mechanism of injury. ), 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 . [12] On the first day of the inquiry the Coroner also disclosed that he had headed the complaints section of the Criminal Justice Commission in the early 1990s, when several complaints had been made about Hurley, but he had not handled the investigation and could not remember the complaints. More about Copyright and other Restrictions. She found that the following conduct of QPS officers contravened s 9(1) of the RDA: In the summary of her judgment, Justice Mortimer stated: I have found that police acted in these ways because they were dealing with an Aboriginal community, and with the community of Palm Island in particular. When they learnt of his death, Palm Islanders rioted, and burnt the police station down. [43], In June 2007 the Townsville-based trial of Chris Hurley on charges of assault and manslaughter took place. ), The Court was asked to decide whether, in the police investigation into Mulrunjis death, in the management of community concerns, tensions and anger on Palm Island in the week after his death, and in the police responses to protests and fires that occurred on 26 November 2004, officers of the QPS contravened section 9(1) of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). (Id.) Residents report officers pointing guns at children's heads and being tasered. [16] They appeared to have jumped to a conclusion given their description of the death as "cold blooded murder". 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. "There'll always be distrust, regardless of what police authority is in town. Witness Patrick Bramwell hangs himself on Palm Island. Shanahan resigned after it was revealed he had sat on the panel that originally appointed Clare as DPP in 1999. The memorial is now surrounded by tinsel, fairy lights, flowers and a turtle ornament, which represents Mr Doomadgee's hunting skills. "We sometimes involve members of the community in the selection processes, but we certainly involve the community when a new officer arrives.". [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". Web Page. He found that the injuries could have been caused by Hurley accidentally falling on top of Mulrunji, or by the officer "dropping a knee into his torso". Documentary film director Tony Krawitz opined in an interview that "something really violent happened" and shortly after stated "It wasn't treated as a murder investigation which is what was meant to have happened. "Everyone was angry," he said. Hurley medically retired from the Gold Coast station of the Queensland Police in 2017[2] following a string of charges while serving as a police officer including assault and dangerous driving. It was reasoned that if they stayed in a different community in Townsville there was a low likelihood of re-offending. It detailed 65 recommendations which seek to reduce violence and overcrowding, and improve standards of education and health. A 36 year old Aboriginal man, Cameron Doomadgee, is arrested for swearing at a police officer. 105and therefore are not subject to copyright and are free to use and reuse. [12], Doomadgee family spokesman, Brad Foster, claimed that after the men had been put into the cells, fifteen minutes lapsed before a seven-second check was done on the inmates. 45 minutes later Cameron Doomadgee is dead, his liver cleaved in two as you might see after a fatal car crash. Cameron Doomadgee died at the age of 36. What happened in the 45 minutes from Doomadgee's arrest till his death should weigh heavily on Australian audiences.
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