Text message exchanges between Constable Zachary Rolfe and several police colleagues have been described as "threatening" and "blatantly racist" by a serving sergeant, as they were read out in the Northern Territory coroner's court.
WARNING: This article contains extreme and offensive racist language heard in court and the image of an Aboriginal person who has died, with the permission of their family.
A coronial inquest is underway into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker, who died in 2019 after he was shot three times by Constable Rolfe during an attempted arrest.
Constable Rolfe was found not guilty of any offence in relation to Mr Walker's death.
Giving evidence today before the inquest, Sergeant Anne Jolley – who is the officer in charge of the Yuendumu police station – said the text messages were "disgraceful."
"I am surprised, I'll be honest I am surprised and shocked," she said.
Constable Rolfe bragged about 'beating' people up
In several text message exchanges between officers there are references to "n***as", "c**ns, and "neanderthals".
In one message sent by Constable Rolfe in March of 2019, he said:
"I'm out at Borroloola, a random community on the coast, 'cause they're rioting. But we came up last time they did this and smashed the whole community. So, this time, as soon as we arrived, they started behaving."
In another exchange, Constable Rolfe said he "likes" to "towel up" Aboriginal people, which the coroner heard meant "beat people up."
Constable Rolfe: Oi, if you're hungry, you're definitely allowed to towel locals up.
Fellow officer: If your last name rhymes with Olf, you're allowed to towel up locals.
Mr Rolfe: I do have a licence to towel locals. I like it.
The coroner heard that in a separate text exchange, another officer said "those bush c**ns aren't used to people going after them".
Sergeant Jolley told the coroner these were not attitudes that she had heard previously expressed by Northern Territory police officers.
'Always ready to make my camera face the other way'
In another text exchange read out to the court, a fellow police officer apologised to Constable Rolfe for "losing" his "s***".
Other officer: Stress you didn't need. You sorted it well. I just had enough. He was the second person to press my button that night.
Constable Rolfe: Bro, there was literally no stress about it. I'm all for that s**t. I've done the same thing to you more than once, before. I'm always ready to make my camera face the other way, and be a dramatic c*** in the film, ha ha."
Other officer: And the Oscar goes to.
Constable Rolfe: Ha ha
Sergeant Jolley said she had never heard of officers "acting in a particular way after they turn their body worn video on".
She told the coroner the allegation was "surprising" and warranted discipline.
'Homophobic', 'sexist' attitudes
The coroner also heard several messages sent between Constable Rolfe and his colleagues that reflected a lack of respect for police officers who work in community, like Sergeant Jolley.
In one exchange with a police sergeant, Constable Rolfe said "the bush cops f****d up as usual".
Sergeant Jolley was shown another text message a police colleague sent to Constable Rolfe after he missed out on admission to the NT police's tactical response group (TRG).
"That's their standard line now. Everyone knows people go out bush because they're f*****g lazy. Maybe that's who they're looking for now. The order of preference now is blacks, chicks, gays and lazy bastards, then Zach," the text said.
"That's pretty hurtful," Sergeant Jolley said of the apparent attitude towards community police, adding "we work really hard out there, so that's a hurtful thing to say."
Messages 'do not represent the values of NT Police'
The introduction of the text messages follows two days of legal arguments surrounding their admissibility.
On Tuesday Coroner Elisabeth Armitage ruled the texts could be "evidence of racism by Constable Rolfe" and his colleagues.
Council Assisting the coroner Peggy Dwyer showed the witness another text message which contained "a picture of somebody who looks overweight and demonic" that was accompanied by text that read "girls shaped like this talk the most shit".
In another exchange, the coroner heard Constable Rolfe texted a colleague that "girls and bush cops all disgust me, ha ha".
Representing Northern Territory police Ian Freckleton AO KC told the coroner the messages were "repugnant" and "do not represent the values of the Northern Territory Police Force or of most members of that force."
Lawyers for Constable Rolfe and the Northern Territory Police raised objections to the messages being put to Sergeant Jolley for her personal opinion without the "full context" of the "private messages".
Dr Dwyer told the court she would "welcome" any explanations from the officers involved.
Message sent after Mr Walker's death
Dr Dwyer asked Sergeant Jolley about another message sent to Constable Rolfe from a fellow constable shortly after Mr Walker died.
In the message a word that was "too offensive" to be read aloud was used to refer to Mr Walker.
The coroner also heard the officer who sent the text to Constable Rolfe used the acronym "IAMOPI," which the coroner heard refers to intent, ability, means, opportunity, preclusion.
Sergeant Jolley said she took it as a justification for the use of force.
"I anticipate that I will submit to her Honour that this text message should not have been sent to Constable Rolfe, because it's suggestive as to how evidence might be given, or how the story might be told about what occurred," Dr Dwyer said.
The coroner heard it was not appropriate for officers to communicate in this way while an investigation into their conduct was underway.
