Alice Springs: Coroner rules that police ‘lack of care’ led to death in custody

17 September: The Northern Territory coroner has found the death of an Aboriginal man in custody was due to a lack of care by police and could have been prevented.

An inquest heard Kwementyaye Briscoe, 27, was dragged along the floor by police at the Alice Springs watch house after being taken into protective custody for being drunk in January.

Police told the inquest they did not seek medical treatment for a wound on Mr Briscoe’s head nor check on him in his cell for more than two hours.

Instead, officers were on the internet or listening to music.

Alice Springs: cops attacked by group

14 June: A violent mob in Alice Springs has attacked police officers, threatening them with a box cutter, smashing police car windows and freeing people from a police wagon.

Northern Territory Police went to the Hidden Valley Town Camp about 8.30pm (CST) on Wednesday to respond to a report of a fire.

They took a 44-year-old man and a 30-year-old woman, who were allegedly both very drunk, into protective custody. While looking for a person in connection to the fire police also tried to take two other drunk men, aged 54 and 25, into protective custody.

A scuffle broke out when this occurred and other people nearby began to shout at police and allegedly armed themselves with rocks, forcing officers to release the 44-year-old from their control.

That man then opened a caged police vehicle, and released the people who were in it.

“These persons joined in the melee and allegedly began attacking the police vehicles with logs and rocks, smashing windows and light bars,” Detective Senior Sergeant Travis Wurst said.

Another Aboriginal man killed by police in custody

source and more: Treaty Republic

Terrance Daniel Briscoe, a 28 year old Anmatyerre Aboriginal man, was arrested for public drunkenness by Alice Springs Police about 9.30pm on January 4. At 6.30 the next morning police informed his family that he was dead.

Police originally told the family that he had fallen over and sustained a head injury before being locked away, and later died of a heart attack. They have since said that he died from ‘a lung complication.’

Mr Briscoe’s friends who were arrested with him say they saw five officers bash him.

Mr Briscoe’s family want to know why he was denied urgent medical care after sustaining his injuries.