A group of armed men allegedly attacked police with rocks,
window louvres, bows and arrows, and metal bars in the remote Northern
Territory town of Wadeye - often referred to as Australia's Wild West.
Officers were confronted by the group at about 5.30pm on
Sunday, many of whom were allegedly using surrounding bushland to hide their
approach.
'Police repeatedly attempted to disperse the group, warning that force may be used if they continued to advance. Those directions were ignored,' an NT Police statement read.
'The group continued to move towards police while armed and
throwing projectiles, requiring police to deploy tactical options to disperse
the crowd and prevent them from advancing further towards residential
properties.'
One person allegedly fired an arrow from a compound bow at
officers, which struck a police vehicle.
Several police vehicles were damaged, but no injuries were
reported.
Further tactical options were deployed and the group
eventually dispersed and left the area.
Police have condemned the latest incident as 'unacceptable',
amid ongoing unrest and violence in the Aboriginal community in recent weeks.
+3
View gallery
A group of men allegedly attacked police with
rocks, window louvres, bows and arrows and metal bars in the Wadeye on Sunday.
Pictured is a previous incident in the remote community
'This was an appalling display of violence,' Superintendent
Virginia Read said.
'There is absolutely no justification for this behaviour.
'Our officers are in Wadeye to protect the community and
prevent further violence, and they should not be subjected to deliberate and
potentially deadly attacks while carrying out that duty.
'The fact that people continued to advance on police despite
repeated directions to disperse demonstrates an alarming disregard for the
safety of police, residents and the wider community.'
Additional police resources have been deployed to increase
community patrols.
'An arrow, rock or piece of metal directed at another person
or a moving vehicle has the potential to cause catastrophic injury or death,'
Supt Read added.
'Those choosing to participate in this violence need
to understand the seriousness of their actions.
'Police will continue working with community leaders and
residents to restore calm, but those responsible for criminal behaviour will be
identified, investigated and held to account.'
Wadeye is one of the Northern Territory's largest Aboriginal
communities and has been plagued by outbreaks of violence between rival
Aboriginal clans for decades.
+3
View gallery
The remote community has a population of almost 2,000,
according to the 2021 Census
The remote township has witnessed pitched battles after
dark, with rival gang members roaming the streets and homes and vehicles being
set alight.
Groups armed with axes, hammers, iron bars and machetes have
also taken to the streets searching for rivals in recent years.
Wadeye was originally developed to bring Aboriginal people
from the surrounding region together in one township, giving residents greater
access to modern services and facilities.
But its population has dramatically increased to 2,000 in
recent years, placing increasing pressure on housing and infrastructure.
The township is home to 22 different clans, with several
languages spoken and often 10 or more people living under one roof.
Some residents have called for blocks of land outside Wadeye
to allow families to establish separate clan homelands on their traditional
country.
The community is located in Australia's second-most
disadvantaged region, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.
A 2019 survey highlighted the scale of Wadeye's housing
crisis, finding 57 of its 400 homes were severely overcrowded, with some
housing more than 20 people.
Share or comment on this article: Police ambushed and
attacked with rocks, arrows and metal bars by large group of men in Australia's
'Wild West' town