WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article contains an image of a person who has died, which has been used with the permission of his family.
For two months, the shooting death of Aboriginal teenager Kumanjayi Walker has been the subject of a coronial inquest in Alice Springs.
Inside a small courtroom, in one of the most remote regions of Australia, witnesses have given evidence that has sent shockwaves across the country.
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The inquest has exposed the overwhelming intricacies of a situation reaching far beyond the night of Walker's death.
What began as an arrest gone wrong has now morphed into a complex storyline spanning decades.
Much has happened and there's still a long way to go.
Here's everything you need to know.
How did we get here?
On the night of November 9, 2019, four police officers were tasked with arresting 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker in the remote community of Yuendumu, roughly 300km from Alice Springs.
In a struggle during the arrest, Walker stabbed Constable Zachary Rolfe in the shoulder with a pair of surgical scissors.
Rolfe shot Walker once in the back and twice more in the side.
Walker was taken to Yuendumu police station. He died soon after on the floor of a cell.
That day, health staff had been evacuated following a series of break-ins to their homes.
The nearest nurses were more than an hour away.
Family and community members gathered outside the police station, begging for answers.
Rolfe was later charged with murder – a charge to which he pleaded not guilty.
Following a six-week trial earlier this year, Rolfe was acquitted on all charges.
Now, there's an inquest to better understand how and why Walker died.
Why have an inquest when there's already been a trial?
There's a distinct difference between a coronial inquest and a trial.
An inquest is focused on understanding all reasons why a death has occured with the aim of avoiding similar tragedies in the future.
Unlike a trial, an inquest isn't about deciding whether a person is guilty of an offence.
There is no jury and different rules of evidence apply, meaning the scope of what can be introduced in court is much wider.
There are some similarities – there are lawyers who represent the different parties, witnesses are called to give evidence and then cross-examined.
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Who is involved?
Kumanjayi Walker: A 19-year-old Warlpiri man who was killed while police attempted to arrest him on November 9, 2019. He had a history of criminal behaviour, alcohol abuse and domestic violence.
Constable Zachary Rolfe: Rolfe is one of four police officers from the Immediate Response Team (IRT) who attempted to arrest Walker on the night he died. Rolfe was responsible for firing his gun three times, killing Walker. He was acquitted of criminal charges over the incident. He remains an active member of the Northern Territory Police Force and will appear as a witness during the inquest.
Elisabeth Armitage: The coroner. It's her job to ensure proceedings are conducted fairly, listen to the evidence and make findings and recommendations at the end of the inquest.
What's happened so far?
September 5: The inquest begins in Alice Springs.
September 7: Walker's cousin, Samara Fernandez Brown, is the first person to give evidence at the inquest.
September 8: Walker's uncle and former Aboriginal community police officer, Derek Williams, gives evidence. He tells the court he feels "betrayed" by his fellow police colleagues for not allowing him into the police station while his nephew lay dying on the floor.
September 9: The inquest is halted after Rolfe's lawyers raise objections to evidence – a series of texts downloaded from his phone following his arrest in 2019.
September 14: Explosive texts are read aloud for the first time. The texts show Rolfe texting a number of unnamed officers referring to Aboriginal people as "c—s" and "Neanderthals who drink too much alcohol". The messages also include offensive terms referring to bush cops. The current sergeant in charge at Yuendumu police station Anne Jolley appears as a witness. She tells the court the messages are "disgusting" and "hurtful" and do not reflect the attitudes of the police force as a whole.
September 21: The sergeant in charge of Yuendumu police station on the night Walker was killed, Julie Frost, apologises to the community about the handling of the incident. She denies any knowledge of the text messages or the use of racist language by officers in Yuendumu.
October 10: One of the nurses who fled Yuendumu on the night of the shooting says she was "very concerned" about the decision to evacuate health staff.
October 18: Two officers involved in the racist text exchange are named. The first is a high-ranking sergeant within the IRT, Sergeant Lee Bauwens. In one message, Bauwens refers to Indigenous community members as "bush c–ns". The acting senior sergeant of police, Paul Kirkby, is also identified as one of the previously unnamed officers involved in the texting.
October 26: Police body-worn video is played to the court showing the moment Walker's family are told about his death. The officer behind the camera can be told telling the family the reason the officer did what he did was "because he thought he was going to die".
October 28: Rolfe's ex-fiancée, Claudia Campagnaro, fronts the inquest in an explosive day of evidence. She tells the court her ex-lover frequently failed to turn on his body-worn camera while on duty and used racist language to talk about Aboriginal people. She also alleges Rolfe told her a female officer scratched his face so that he could justify his use of force during an arrest which led to a man receiving 13 stitches to the head. During cross-examination, Rolfe's lawyers accuse Campagnaro of lying.
November 4: It's revealed Rolfe failed to disclose a prior military theft charge during the NT Police application process. The coroner formally accepts an invitation from Warlpiri elders to attend Yuendumu and speak with community members. The inquest is adjourned and due to recommence in Yuendumu on November 14.
What's the reaction been?
Mixed.
Much of the evidence, in particular allegations about racism within the Alice Springs police station, have generated significant scrutiny around policing in the Northern Territory.
Senior figures within the NT Police Force, including Police Minister Kate Worden, have publicly denied any suggestion of systemic racism within the force.
Meanwhile, members of Walker's family and groups such as Justice for Walker have expressed dismay and anger over the revelations, calling for reform within remote policing.
In particular, community representatives have urged the coroner to consider recommendations surrounding the use of guns in remote communities and more thorough cultural training for police.
What happens next?
Next week, the inquest will spend two days in Yuendumu visiting key sites including the house where Walker was shot.
They will speak with family and community members about their experiences post-2019 and hear their concerns about policing going forward.
Once the inquest resumes in Alice Springs, Rolfe is due to appear as a witness.
His evidence is expected to go for three days where he will face questions over his involvement in the text scandal and his use of force on the job.
The inquest is expected to wrap up in early December.
The coroner will then review the evidence and formulate a report including findings and recommendations.
Recommendations are often directed to the government although they can also be directed to non-government agencies including the police force.
It's then up to those agencies to respond or implement changes.
