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A Northern Territory police officer charged with murder over the shooting death of 19-year-old Indigenous man Kumanjayi Walker was "acting in good faith" after he was stabbed by the teenager, a court has heard.
Constable Zachary Rolfe faced the Alice Springs Local Court by videolink from Canberra on Thursday, where defence lawyers asked for the case to be shifted to Darwin.
Mr Walker was fatally shot at his home in Yuendumu, 300 kilometres from Alice Springs, on the evening of 9 November.
The community had called on the courts to keep the case in Alice Springs, rather than shifting to Darwin. Source: SBS News/Aneet Bhole
David Edwardson, for Constable Rolfe, said there had been widespread misreporting of the facts of the case and a fair trial would not be possible in Alice Springs.
Mr Edwardson said that on the night of the shooting Mr Walker "resorted to violent and potentially lethal force" against Constable Rolfe and his partner, who had been trying to arrest him.
"Before any shots were fired, Mr Walker, spontaneously and without warning, stabbed Constable Rolfe and then turned his attention towards Const Rolfe's partner," he told the court.
"We submit... that Constable Rolfe was acting in good faith when he discharged his firearm in response to the continued attempts by Mr walker to deploy his weapon against Constable Rolfe's partner."
Northern Territory police officer Zachary Rolfe. Source: ABC News/ Grenville Turner
He said the incident was captured by bodycam footage on both officers.
Supporters of Mr Walker's family and the Yuendumu community sat peacefully on the Alice Springs court lawns on Thursday. Some Warlpiri painted their foreheads white as a symbol of their mourning, and wore t-shirts stating "Justice for Walker".
A decision about whether the matter will be moved will be handed down later this month.
With additional reporting from AAP
