The four-part documentary 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback examines the 2019 fatal shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker by Northern Territory police constable Zachary Rolfe.
Directed by Darren Dale and written by Andrew Boe, the series scrutinizes the events in the remote community of Yuendumu and the subsequent legal proceedings.
Walker was shot during a police attempt to arrest him just days after he had escaped custody and returned to his home community. Rolfe, a former army officer, was charged with murder following the incident but was acquitted by a Northern Territory jury.
The documentary utilizes body-worn camera footage, courtroom testimony, and interviews with witnesses and family members to reconstruct the timeline of the shooting. Filmmakers also gained access to text messages between Rolfe and other officers that were not presented during the murder trial, which the series uses to illustrate broader concerns regarding institutional culture within the police force.
“It is a rigorous piece of journalism and a profound reckoning with how justice and policing had failed Walker and the wider community of indigenous Australians,” the production notes state. While Rolfe declined to be interviewed for the documentary, his actions and personal background serve as a central focus of the narrative.
The series premiered on November 10 at 8:30 p.m. on SBS and NITV. It is currently available for viewers to stream on SBS On Demand.
The documentary provides an in-depth look at the coronial inquest that followed the criminal trial. This section of the series highlights internal communications among officers that were excluded from the jury’s deliberations.
Who was Kumanjayi Walker?
Kumanjayi Walker was a 19-year-old Warlpiri man from the remote outback community of Yuendumu. His death in 2019 became the subject of extensive legal scrutiny and a high-profile murder trial.
What was the outcome of the criminal trial against Zachary Rolfe?
Constable Zachary Rolfe was charged with murder following the shooting of Walker. A Northern Territory jury acquitted him.
Did the documentary include an interview with Zachary Rolfe?
No, Rolfe did not agree to be interviewed by the filmmakers for 2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback. His perspective is instead represented through body-worn camera footage and official records from the legal proceedings.