11 March 2022
The Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) welcome the acquittal of Constable Zach Rolfe today.
We are pleased that ultimately justice has prevailed.
President Paul McCue, who has been in court every day of the trial with Vice President Chris Wilson, said: ”The jury verdict was justification of our concerns relating to the charging of Constable Zach Rolfe from the very beginning, that is there was clearly never enough evidence to lay a charge of Murder.
"The evidence produced by the Crown during the trial plainly fell short of what you would expect with such a serious allegation”.
The NTPA maintain the incident was undeniably tragic in what was ultimately a very dangerous workplace incident, and another example of how police put their lives on the line for the community.
Mr McCue also said: “Let’s not forget, Constable Rolfe was viciously attacked without provocation and Constable Eberl was then left in close combat with an armed assailant, anyone of them could have been killed that night, and thankfully they were not. We are also grateful Constables Hand and Smith were also able to go home after their serious incident a few nights earlier.
"Sadly, and tragically, the deceased in all likelihood would still be alive today had he not lied to police about his identity and complied with police instructions. By not doing so, he set a chain of events in motion which ultimately cost him his life.
"We held the view from the beginning, and still do today, Constable Rolfe simply followed his police training when confronted with that life threatening situation. This was ultimately confirmed by the jury today.
"Our members continue to have a lot of questions resulting from the arrest and charging of Constable Rolfe and we intend to make a further comprehensive statement regarding this matter in the coming days."
The NTPA have stood side by side with Constable Rolfe and his family through this entire challenging ordeal from the beginning. Our legal team in this matter have been exceptional, and we will say further about that in due course.
Mr McCue said: “This has been a challenging time for all involved, including police witnesses and investigators, especially those who have been asked to investigate one of their own. We continue to provide support to all involved.
"We now look forward to Constable Rolfe returning to work and being able to get on with his life."
ENDS
Please direct all media enquiries to NTPA Communications Officer, Kieran Banks +61 (0) 499 017 654 or media@ntpa.com.au
The Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) is the industrial voice of all members of the Northern Territory Police Force. Read more via www.ntpa.com.au or join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NTPoliceAssociation
