Violence erupted outside an Australian hospital where Jefferson Lewis, a man suspected of murdering five-year-old girl Kumanjayi Little Baby, was being treated. According to multiple reports, the crowd demanded traditional punishment known as 'payback' and clashed with police who used tear gas to disperse them.
Key Takeaways
Violence erupted outside an Australian hospital where Jefferson Lewis, a suspect in the murder of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, was being treated. The crowd demanded traditional punishment known as 'payback' and clashed with police who used tear gas to disperse them.
- A man suspected of abducting and killing a 5-year-old girl is arrested in Alice Springs
- Violent clashes between police and locals after the arrest, resulting in injuries and property damage
- Suspect flown to Darwin for safety reasons as charges are expected to be laid
- Forensic tests continue to confirm Kumanjayi Little Baby's identity and cause of death
The unrest followed Lewis's arrest late on Thursday night in Alice Springs after he was seen by members of the local community and reportedly attacked. Video shows dozens of people gathering outside the town's hospital, some throwing projectiles, with police using tear gas. The body of Kumanjayi Little Baby was discovered earlier on Thursday.
Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole told ABC that Lewis was unconscious when officers found him and that about 200 people turned on police and paramedics as they responded to reports Lewis was being assaulted. Several people, including members of emergency services, were injured but no arrests have been made over the violent disorder.
Lewis has been flown from Alice Springs to Darwin for safety reasons. Charges are expected to be laid against him in the coming days. Forensic tests to confirm Kumanjayi Little Baby's identity and cause of death will continue on Friday. The girl had last been seen on Saturday when she was put to bed at an Aboriginal town camp near Alice Springs just before midnight.
According to The Guardian, the grandfather of Kumanjayi Little Baby called for calm in the central Australian town, saying the violent confrontation between police and others at Alice Springs hospital was not 'our way'. The town is in deep mourning over the girl's death. A crowd of about 400 people assembled outside the hospital as word spread of the arrest. A police car was set alight, four other police cars and four of the region’s five ambulances were damaged, bins and bushes were set on fire and nearby businesses were trashed.
According to UPI, a female was arrested for trying to set fire to a police vehicle. Commissioner Dole told reporters that he expected more people who were involved in the unrest to be detained throughout the day. The riot comes as community members and authorities in Alice Springs had been searching for Jefferson Lewis, 47, since early Sunday after Kumanjai Little Baby was reported missing and he was identified as a suspect.
On Wednesday, police said that a crime scene had been established near the home where Kumanjai Little Baby was abducted. A pair of children's underwear were found with two DNA profiles, one belonging to Lewis and the other believed to be that of the missing girl. Northern Territory Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro commended Alice Springs for coming together in the search for Kumanjayi Little Baby this week.
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