The use of body-worn cameras by specialist police is being reviewed after an Aboriginal man was shot dead in far north Queensland.
Aubrey Donahue died after being shot four times by police who allege he advanced on officers while armed with a knife in Mareeba, west of Carins, on Saturday.
The 27-year-old’s family and the local Indigenous community dispute that he’d been armed, and on Monday held a protest in the town over the lack of information being shared by police.
Coroner Terry Ryan will hold an inquest into the shooting, but police have revealed there’s no close-range footage of the incident.
Deputy Commissioner Mark Wheeler says the specialist police didn’t have body-worn cameras fitted when they shot Mr Donahue.
“So specialist offices for practicality reasons generally don’t, other officers at the scene were wearing body-worn cameras and we have secured that vision of course,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“But in terms of the specialist police we’re reviewing those arrangements now.”
Mr Wheeler said while the coroner’s report would potentially make findings about the use of body-worn cameras by specialist police, the service could and would act preemptively “in light of recent events”.
“When we have an incident, a serious incident or police related incident, we review it immediately and we can make changes prior to any coronial inquest finding, and of course, we will always work with the coroner and abide by any findings that come out with any coronial inquest but we don’t necessarily have to wait until that occurs,” he said.
– AAP
