Kumanjayi White’s family sues NT government for ‘unreasonable’ use of force over his death

In federal court documents, the 24-year-old's family claim officers acted unlawfully in apprehending him and applying force to him such as to cause the loss of his life'

Warning: This article contains reference to Indigenous Australians who have died

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The mother of Kumanjayi White, a Warlpiri man who died after being restrained in an Alice Springs supermarket by police, is suing the Northern Territory government in the federal court, claiming that the officers committed assault, battery and false imprisonment.

White, a 24-year-old with disabilities, died on 27 May during a confrontation with police in a Coles supermarket. His family claim that the two officers involved acted unlawfully in apprehending him, taking him into custody, and applying force to him such as to cause the loss of his life".

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