The family of Warlpiri man Kumanjayi White has launched a landmark federal court case against the Northern Territory government, alleging police officers used unlawful and unreasonable force that led to his death inside an Alice Springs supermarket.
White, 24, who lived with disabilities, died on 27 May after being restrained by plainclothes police officers at Coles. According to police, the officers had intervened following an altercation between White and a security guard, who accused him of shoplifting.
His mother, Selma Tasman, has filed proceedings in the federal court on behalf of herself and other family members, including White’s sister and grandfather. The claim, lodged with the support of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) in July, accuses the officers of assault, battery and false imprisonment.
Family Seeks Justice
“It is the Applicant’s case that these two police officers had no lawful authority to apprehend Kumanjayi White, to take him into their custody and to apply force to him in the manner which they did, and which force, further, was unreasonable,” the legal claim states.
“By doing so, they committed the torts of assault and battery and false imprisonment. Alternatively, in exercising any such powers (the existence of which is denied), they owed Kumanjayi White a duty to exercise reasonable care, which duty they breached.”
The family argues that the NT government is vicariously liable for the actions of the officers, who were acting under the colour of duty at the time of White’s death. The lawsuit seeks compensation for burial costs as well as aggravated damages for the distress and harm caused to White’s relatives.
A Fight for Information
Tasman’s claim underscores the lack of transparency surrounding her son’s final moments. “The information about the circumstances in which Kumanjayi White passed on … is taken from two media releases issued by the Northern Territory Police Force on 27 May 2025,” the claim states.
“This is the only information with which the Applicant has been provided by the Respondent about the circumstances in which Kumanjayi White passed on. The Applicant was not present when these events occurred and does not know the police officers involved or the detail of the circumstances in which Kumanjayi White passed on. The Applicant needs information about those matters to prepare for and conduct the trial of this matter.”
Tasman is seeking court orders to access key documents from the NT police investigation, including material that will eventually be submitted to the coroner. The officers involved have not yet been identified, but once named, they will be added to the proceedings.
Legal and Human Rights Concerns
The case also raises broader questions about accountability in the Northern Territory. Under NT law, civil action against police must be filed within two months of an alleged incident—a restriction that legal and human rights groups, including NAAJA, have long criticised as unfair and prohibitive for grieving families.
The first hearing, before Justice Erin Longbottom, is scheduled for next week. The NT government has not yet been required to submit a defence.
For Tasman and her family, the legal battle is about more than damages—it is about ensuring accountability for her son’s death and shining a light on the treatment of Aboriginal people in police custody.
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