Kumanjayi White's family sues NT over 2025 custody death
Kumanjayi White, a 24‑year‑old Aboriginal man, died on 27 May 2025 in an Alice Springs supermarket after two Northern Territory police officers restrained him in a confectionery aisle. The family, led by his grandfather Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, has filed legal action in the NT Supreme Court seeking reasons for the decision not to prosecute the officers, invoking the Northern Territory Victims of Crime Charter.
The Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions said no charges would be laid because there were no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution. Police have declined to release CCTV footage of the incident and have not stood down the officers. The family demands a genuinely independent investigation and greater transparency. The case has sparked national outrage, with protests including a traffic blockade on Sydney’s Elizabeth Street.
Entities: George Newhouse · Kumanjayi White · Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves · Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions · Northern Territory Police
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The Northern Territory Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to lay charges, citing no reasonable prospects of a successful prosecution.
- [● 3 SOURCES] NT Police refused to release CCTV footage of the incident and did not stand down the officers involved.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The family is led by Kumanjayi White’s grandfather Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves, who is demanding an independent investigation and transparency.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The family launched legal action in the NT Supreme Court seeking answers under the Northern Territory Victims of Crime Charter.
- [● 3 SOURCES] National protests occurred, including a traffic blockade on Sydney’s Elizabeth Street, following the death.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Kumanjayi White died on 27 May 2025 in an Alice Springs supermarket after being restrained by two NT police officers.