Police showed a lack of “respect” and “care” in their interactions with the family of a young Gomoroi man who drowned in a river after running from officers, a New South Wales coroner has found.
Gordon Copeland, 22, drowned in the Gwydir river in the early hours of 10 July 2021. The inquest heard Copeland entered the water while running from police who had followed the car he was in, mistakenly thinking it was stolen.
Police called off a search for Copeland after three days but his body was not found until authorities resumed it more than three months later, after sustained community and family pressure.
The NSW state coroner Theresa O’Sullivan delivered her findings from the inquest into Copelands death on Tuesday, noting the importance of understanding the “traumatic history” between police and Aboriginal people, in particular in and near Moree.
O’Sullivan made six recommendations, including that the NSW police force undertakes a review into its training concerning First Nations people and the impact of colonisation on Indigenous people today.
She also recommended NSW police review its policies and training around communicating with families experiencing trauma, particularly when it comes to Indigenous families and missing person cases.
O’Sullivan criticised Moree police, saying family members who were trying to report Copeland missing should have been treated respectfully and if they had they would received vital information.
“It is completely inappropriate that the Copeland family did not get more urgent help and more respect,” the coroner said in delivering her findings.
“The police would likely have got a full account that would have allowed them to put the missing pieces together and accept for themselves there was enough evidence to justify re-instigating the search.
O’Sullivan also urged police to review their training for future and current officer’s “critical decision making” in situations such as searches in rivers and that the New England police district should examine the resources and search equipment available during search and rescues in rivers.
The coroner noted the lengths the family had gone to in their efforts to find Copeland, using their “limited resources” to buy equipment in their search. “They were understandably frustrated that the New South Wales police force would not yet commit to another search,” she told the court.
“Without this strong advocacy, it is doubtful that a third search report would have been undertaken.
“Their commitment to Gordon is a reflection of their love.”
During the inquest family members spoke of how they repeatedly asked for more information and waited for hours at the police station the night after Copeland disappeared, wanting to report him as missing.
The family said they felt “disrespected” and were “heartbroken” by way they were treated, having at one stage been given a Post-it note with information about where to search the river.
The inquest was also shown body worn camera vision from one officer showing an officer laughing and using expletives during a brief initial search.
Sullivan raised concerns about detective Brad Beddoes who said the family was treated poorly and that during his testimony he appeared to lack “empathy and was dismissive”. “I hope that he is reflected more deeply since on what occurred that he is capable of learning from the interaction and will continue to reflect.”
She said local police would have been deeply affected by the tragedy and she hoped the inquest into Copeland’s death would prompt deeper understanding and learning between police and Indigenous people.
“I hope that the lessons learned here will inspire more efforts to listen deeply to First Nations families and to resolve to learn from the mistakes that happen when they don’t.”
