The family of Kumanjayi White, a 24-year-old Aboriginal man, has launched legal action following his death in custody in Alice Springs in May 2025. Multiple reports say White died on 27 May 2025 in a Coles supermarket in the Northern Territory after two plain-clothes police officers restrained him while he was in the confectionery area. The incident triggers widespread public reaction, including national outrage and rallies calling for an independent investigation.
The Guardian reports that the legal action is tied to a decision not to prosecute the officers involved. The Age, Brisbane Times and the Sydney Morning Herald similarly describe the death, the role of the two plain-clothes officers holding him down, and the subsequent calls for independent scrutiny. Across the accounts, the central points are that White died during police restraint in a supermarket setting and that his family is now pursuing legal steps in response to how police and prosecutors handled the matter.
