Cunneen, Chris --- "Update: Alexandria Park Shooting" [1989] AboriginalLawB 30; (1989) 1(39) Aboriginal Law Bulletin 2

• Update-Alexandria Park Shooting

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Update -
Alexandria Park Shooting

by Chris Cunneen

On July 14 about 1,000 Kooris were celebrating National Aboriginal Day with a children's sports carnival in Alexandria Park in Sydney. During the carnival plainclothes police officers from the South Region Crime Squad attempted to arrest a man. The officers were armed with revolvers and a shotgun, failed to identify themselves and, during the ensuing struggle with spectators, fired at least four shots.

The incident raises a number of serious issues concerning police operations in dealing with alleged Aboriginal offenders and their disregard for the safety of the Aboriginal community. The suspect was unarmed and wanted on two warrants which related to breach of bail conditions and assault. More importantly, the location of the person had been known to local police for some months and negotiations had been underway between an Aboriginal member of the Redfern Police Aboriginal Liaison Unit for the person to surrender himself to local police. This information had been made available to the detectives of the South Region Crime Squad who decided to ignore the recommendations of the Aboriginal liaison officers.

The incident at Alexandria Park occurred on the same day as the beginning of the coronial inquest into the death of David Gundy. This is more than an unfortunate irony, when one considers that it was also the South Region Crime Squad who, in conjunction with SWOS officers, organised the raids 3 months previously which resulted in David Gundy's death. The police internal inquiry into what occurred at Alexandria Park is being headed by a detective inspector from the same regional squad which was involved in the incident.