A young Aboriginal boy was allegedly wrongfully held at gunpoint, forced face-down on the ground, and pinned by ACT police officers last week in an incident that has sparked outrage among his family, First Nations leaders, and advocates, who say he was profiled and violently targeted.
ACT Police has said officers were responding to reports of an armed young person in possession of a knife who had allegedly committed an aggravated robbery at Westfield Woden on Wednesday, 12 November.
At the same time, police had received reports of multiple attempted carjackings in the area involving a young person allegedly threatening members of the public with a knife.
“During the response, information was received by police that a young person matching the physical and clothing description of the alleged offender was on a bus. That bus was stopped, and a young person was detained for a short period until it was confirmed he was not the alleged offender,” ACT Police said in a statement.
“We acknowledge this would have been a very distressing incident for the young person and the other passengers on the bus and we apologise for this,” the statement added.
Police said officers acted “with the immediate aim of preventing a worst-case scenario from occurring - further harm to members of the public.”
The alleged offender was later arrested in Ainslie and faced court the next day.
The child had been sitting quietly on the bus on his way to visit family when officers allegedly approached him with weapons drawn.
Police immediately approached him without asking his name, checking his identity, or explaining why they were there, according to the boy’s family.
He was allegedly forced off the bus, handcuffed, and restrained on the ground with several officers’ knees pressed into his back, causing him pain and difficulty breathing. Police only stopped when they realised they had detained the wrong child.
The boy’s family described the ordeal as a violent breach of duty and a gross violation of his human rights.
“Your officers pointed a gun at him. Your officers dragged him off a bus. Your officers slammed him onto the ground. Your officers pinned him down with their knees.
"And even after realising they had the wrong boy, they still searched him - a terrified child who kept saying, ‘I didn’t do anything,’” the family said.
They added that the child is now scared to leave the house, refuses to catch the bus, and lives in fear of police. The family said the trauma inflicted will not disappear and has permanently altered his life.
The family is demanding a written and public apology to their nephew, immediate access to the full body-worn camera footage and incident report, disciplinary action against the officers involved, and a fully independent investigation with published findings.
They are also calling for long-term trauma counselling for the boy funded by ACT Police, a full review of use-of-force policies concerning children, mandatory cultural safety and de-escalation training for officers, and clear communication with the family at every stage of the process.
In a joint statement, the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body (ATSIEB), the Acting ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children & Young People Commissioner, Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service and Yeddung Mura said the boy was confused, terrified, and compliant throughout the ordeal.
They described the incident as not a simple misidentification, but a clear case of racial profiling and a profound breach of safety and human rights.
ATSIEB’s Kaylene McLeod described the incident as “a catastrophic failure of judgement, process and humanity.”
The Acting Children & Young People Commissioner said the child was “endangered, terrified and stripped of his dignity,” calling the police response grossly disproportionate.
Winnunga Nimmityjah CEO Julie Tongs said, “Our community is exhausted by incidents like this. This young person deserves safety, respect and protection - not a gun pointed at him. This cannot be excused or downplayed.”
McLeod added, “A gun pointed at the Aboriginal boy on a bus is not a mistake - it is a catastrophic failure of judgement, process, and humanity. There is no world in which this response is justified.”
Independent Senator Lidia Thorpe condemned the incident as a horrific example of institutional racism.
“This was a child on his way to visit family, sitting quietly, and he was terrorised because of the colour of his skin. That is unacceptable,” she said.
Thorpe said racial profiling is a major driver of First Nations over-policing and over-incarceration, warning that “this is not an isolated incident - it is a pattern.”
Thorpe said her heart goes out to the family and told the young boy he did nothing wrong.
“To the young fella - know that you did nothing wrong, and our community stands with you.”
She called for full accountability, immediate standing-down of the officers involved, and an independent investigation with public findings.
She also urged federal action.
“The horrific treatment of First Peoples and of children is occurring across the country, yet the Albanese Government continues to sit on its hands.
"Enough is enough. Federal action is required to stop the racism and the violence being perpetrated against us.”
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