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The Northern Territory Police Force (NTPF) says it’s investigating a death in custody after an Indigenous man died at Royal Darwin Hospital.
On 30 May, Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers received reports of an allegedly intoxicated man, 68, who was “unable to board a flight” out of Darwin, the NTPF said in a statement on Saturday.
He was taken into protective custody and driven to the Palmerston Watchhouse where the custody sergeant and nurse deemed it necessary to take him to Royal Darwin Hospital for assessment.
Upon arrival at the hospital, federal officers noticed the man had lost consciousness, prompting medical staff to immediately commence CPR, with resuscitation efforts proving successful.
He was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit in a stable condition for ongoing treatment for what was a suspected medical event, NT Police said.
The man died in the ICU on Saturday. His cause of death remains undetermined pending a post mortem examination, the statement said.
‘Investigated as a death in custody’
“The incident is being investigated as a death in custody, as the man was in the custody of the AFP at the time of him first losing consciousness,” it said.
“The Northern Territory Police Force is now investigating on behalf of the Coroner.”
An NTPF spokesperson confirmed to SBS News that the man is Aboriginal, and an NT resident. His next of kin have been notified.
An AFP spokesperson said in a statement on Sunday that individuals in protective custody are not under arrest and the man was “not restrained at any point by AFP officers”.
The AFP confirmed the man was detained under the public intoxication section of the NT Police Administration Act.
The man was taken to hospital so he could be “monitored while sobering up” and he presented no medical concerns while being transported, the spokesperson said.
But when he arrived at the hospital, he “experienced a sudden and serious medical episode” and lost consciousness.
The officers involved are being supported by AFP welfare officers.
NT Police allege the 24-year-old, originally from the desert community of Yuendumu, was shoplifting and had assaulted a security guard who confronted him in the confectionery aisle.
In that case, rallies continue across the country to demand justice, calling for an independent inquiry into his death.
