NT: Police officer faces court over shooting death in remote NT

AAP General News (Australia)
04-27-2004
NT: Police officer faces court over shooting death in remote NT

By Karen Michelmore

DARWIN, April 27 AAP - A policeman fatally shot a teenager who was fighting over a
shotgun with another man in a remote Northern Territory community, a court was told today.

Sergeant Robert Gregory Whittington, 38, is charged with two counts of committing an
act causing danger and death.

The charges relate to the death of an 18-year-old man, who cannot be named, and injury
to another, Tobias Worumbu, at Wadeye, 350 km south-west of Darwin, on October 23, 2002.

Wadeye resident William Parmbuk told Darwin Magistrates Court the two victims were
among 100 young men from different gangs fighting on the oval at the remote Aboriginal
community when they were shot.

Mr Parmbuk said there were three police present but the situation soon spun out of
control as gang members began chasing each other.

"The police couldn't do anything," Mr Parmbuk said.

At one stage, he said he saw Mr Worumbu run from a house with a shotgun, and the other
victim tried to take the gun from him.

Mr Parmbuk said he feared for his life, and believed Mr Worumbu would start shooting
at the group that had gathered.

The two victims were struggling over the shotgun when Mr Parmbuk heard five shots fired
from behind him.

"It just went bang, bang, bang, bang," he said.

The teenager then ran about 40 metres after Mr Worumbu before he grabbing at his own neck.

He was taken to the local health clinic, where he later died.

Nurse Justine Miller said the bullet entered the man's back and exited through his neck.

"He was still conscious, he was trying to say things but there was blood in his mouth,"

she told the court.

She said there were regular riots in the community, and the staff had been locked inside
the clinic during the incident for their own safety.

A large number of workers fled the community fearing for their safety after the shooting,
she said.

AAP km/cjh/br

KEYWORD: WHITTINGTON

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