The family of Kumanjayi White, a 24-year-old Aboriginal man who died after being restrained by plain-clothes police in an Alice Springs Coles supermarket in May 2025, has launched legal action over the decision not to charge the officers involved.
Key facts
- Kumanjayi White, 24, died on 27 May 2025 after being restrained by police in a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs.
- Two plain-clothes police officers held him down in the confectionary aisle of the store.
- The officers involved were not prosecuted, prompting the family's legal action.
- His death sparked national outrage and rallies calling for an independent investigation, according to the Guardian.
The family of Kumanjayi White, a young Aboriginal man who died after being restrained by police in an Alice Springs supermarket, has launched legal action after the officers involved were not prosecuted, according to the Guardian.
White, 24, died in the Coles supermarket in the Northern Territory city on 27 May 2025. The Guardian reports that two plain-clothes police officers held him down in the confectionary aisle of the store before his death.
The circumstances of his death sparked national outrage, with rallies held to call for an independent investigation into what happened, the Guardian reports.
The decision not to prosecute the officers involved has now prompted the family to pursue legal action. The Guardian did not specify the precise nature of the proceedings in the material available.
White’s death is among a number of cases involving Indigenous Australians who have died in custody or in encounters with police, a subject that has drawn sustained public attention in Australia.
Why it matters
Deaths of Indigenous Australians in custody and during police encounters have been a long-standing focus of public concern and calls for accountability. The family's legal action over the decision not to charge the officers highlights ongoing debate about how such cases are investigated and prosecuted.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Kumanjayi White?
Kumanjayi White was a 24-year-old Aboriginal man who died on 27 May 2025 after being restrained by police in a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs, in Australia's Northern Territory.
What happened to the police officers involved?
According to the Guardian, the two plain-clothes officers who restrained White were not prosecuted, which has prompted his family to launch legal action.
Where and when did his death occur?
White died in the confectionary aisle of a Coles supermarket in Alice Springs on 27 May 2025.