'Ruse necessary' after Walker death

A "ruse" to keep members of a Northern Territory Indigenous community in the dark about the death of a teenager shot by police was necessary at the time and helped avoid a "catastrophic outcome", an inquest has been told.

Superintendent Jody Nobbs, who made the call to deceive the locals in Yuendumu, said there was no script for dealing with such incidents.

But he believed the plan helped to quickly de-escalate the situation after community members had gathered outside the local police station, raising safety concerns for those inside.

He said the alternative of engaging with elders, while considered, was not a safe option.

The "deliberate and calculated deception, the so-called ruse" was a key factor in preventing a "catastrophic outcome", Supt Nobbs said.

Another factor was the involvement of Aboriginal Community Police Officer Derek Williams to engage with community members, he said.

Mr Williams previously told the inquest he felt betrayed by his police colleagues, when asked about being kept in the dark about his nephew's death.

Supt Nobbs also outlined a number of incidents in the NT in previous years that had resulted in substantial harm, damage and destruction when they deteriorated into "chaos and mob mentality" over a perceived injustice or grievance.

"That's my lived experience as to how quick these things turn and that was, I guess, what I feared at that point in time as it relates to Yuendumu as well," he said.

The Northern Territory coroner is investigating the death of Kumanjayi Walker who was shot three times during a bungled arrest in Yuendumu in November 2019.

The Warlpiri man died soon after while being given first aid in the local police station.

At one stage that night, police sent an ambulance to the local airport to give the impression to the community that the teenager was being transferred to Alice Springs for treatment of his wounds.

Constable Zachary Rolfe was later charged with Mr Walker's murder but was acquitted after a Supreme Court trial.

Supt Nobbs acknowledged the decision not to immediately reveal the death to the 19-year-old's family caused anger and offence, and ongoing psychological harm.

He said the decision did not "sit comfortably with me" and he was now a different police officer because of the events of that night.

"But I still maintain in my position, based on my experience (it) was necessary at the time," he said.

"The by-product is the harm, the erosion of trust. Something that's going to probably put us back a substantial way.

"But again, well intended on my part to try to keep a community that I care about, safe."

Supt Nobbs said he particularly regretted the use of ambulance staff in the ruse.

"The use of the ambulance was still appropriate," he said 

"But certainly the utilisation of the health workers within the ambulance was an unnecessary part of the plan.

"We could have had a police officer drive that vehicle."

The inquest was continuing.