WA police who shot dead Aboriginal woman did not make meaningful attempts to de-escalate, coroner finds

<p>Brent Wyndham fired on JC within 17 seconds of exiting his vehicle in Geraldton, inquest ruling says</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/03/nsw-wild-weather-storm-flood-evacation-warnings-warraganmba-dam">Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates</a></p></li><li><p>Get our <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl">breaking news email</a>, <a href="https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3">free app</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl">daily news podcast</a></p></li></ul><p>Police were not sufficiently trained and did not make meaningful attempts to de-escalate the situation before fatally shooting an Aboriginal woman in a Geraldton street in 2019, a Western Australian coroner has found.</p><p>The death of the 29-year-old Ngarlawangga Yamatji Martu woman, known as JC for cultural reasons, was preventable, and more needed to be done “to bring about actual change and improve relations as between the WA Police and Aboriginal communities”, the coroner, Ros Fogliani, said in her determination, which was released on Thursday.</p><p><strong><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=copyembed">Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email</a></strong></p><p><em>Indigenous Australians can call <a href="https://www.13yarn.org.au/">13YARN</a> on 13 92 76 for information and crisis support; or call Lifeline on 13 11 14, Mensline on 1300 789 978 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636</em></p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/jul/03/wa-police-who-shot-dead-aboriginal-woman-jc-geraldton-coroner-inquest-ntwnfb">Continue reading...</a>