Northern Territory police officer Zachary Rolfe failed to follow safety procedures and ignored firearms training shortly before he fatally shot Kumanjayi Walker, a police training expert has told the constable's murder trial.
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains an image of a person who has died, used with the permission of their family.
Mr Walker was shot three times after stabbing Constable Rolfe in the shoulder with medical scissors during an attempted arrest in the remote central Australian community of Yuendumu in 2019.
Constable Rolfe, 30, has pleaded not guilty to murder, as well as two alternative charges, arguing in part that he was acting in defence of himself and his colleague, Constable Adam Eberl.
As the trial entered its fourth week, the Northern Territory Supreme Court was again shown body-worn camera vision of the two officers entering a home and confronting Mr Walker, who was wanted by police for brandishing an axe at local officers three days earlier.
Acting Superintendent Andrew Barram, who previously led the operational safety section at the NT Police training college, told the court that constables Rolfe and Eberl failed to adopt a cautious approach, such as by conducting a cordon-and-contain operation.
In response to questions from the prosecution he said: "They shouldn't have gone in [to the home]."
"There's no practical distance between them. [There's] limited time to be able to react. [It] completely goes against their training."
Acting Superintendent Barram said, based on the footage, it was immediately apparent that Mr Walker had his hand in his pocket when the officers approached him.
He said police should have stayed outside the front entrance and directed the 19-year-old to show his hands.
Constable Rolfe had 'readiness' to use firearm: Barram
The senior officer was also highly critical of the way officers searched another nearby house shortly before they moved onto the one in which they found Mr Walker that evening.
He said body-worn camera footage showed Constable Rolfe had been told by another officer that a young boy said Mr Walker had just left the property and would be back later that evening.
Despite that, Acting Superintendent Barram said Constable Rolfe disengaged two safety devices on his holster and left his hand on his Glock firearm as he went from room to room in search of Mr Walker.
He said Constable Rolfe's actions were inappropriate, contrary to police training, and showed a "readiness to use a firearm" even though the circumstances did not warrant such a response.
"The only time we're taught to disengage [the holster safety devices] is when you're going to draw the firearm out," he said.
Acting Superintendent Barram said the officers should not have gone into the house in the first place, but given they did, they should have reduced any risks to the young boy before proceeding.
"If they'd suspected that Mr Walker was in there, or Mr Walker was in there and that they might have to use their firearm — bullets can go through walls, doors, et cetera," he said.
"You've got to be aware of your background.
"So, if [a police safety plan] had been followed properly, that child should have been evacuated."
Court told Constable Rolfe's taser battery was flat
The court also heard that Acting Superintendent Barram inspected Constable Rolfe's accoutrement belt after the shooting.
He said that while the baton and handcuffs were in working order, he noted Constable's Rolfe's taser had a flat battery, and that it was held in a non-standard holster.
He also told the court he had reviewed an incident three days prior to the shooting when Mr Walker threatened two Yuendumu-based officers with an axe.
He said that while the officers did not draw their firearms on that occasion, they were trained to do so in such circumstances.
"They were presented with a close-range serious threat, an edged weapon," he said.
He said police are taught that if they see a knife, they should distance themselves from the offender, draw their firearm, and give verbal commands to drop the weapon.
The defence is expected to cross-examine Acting Superintendent Barram after the prosecution finishes its questions on Tuesday.
