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Indigenous prisoner dies in South Australia after altercation left him braindead Indigenous prisoner dies in South Australia after altercation left him braindead
(35 minutes later)
An Indigenous inmate involved in a violent altercation with several prison guards at a South Australian prison has died.The correctional services minister, Peter Malinauskas, told ABC radio the 29-year-old man, Mr Morrison, died after spending three days in a serious condition at the Royal Adelaide hospital. Lawyers for the man’s family asked that his first name and photograph not be used for cultural reasons. An indigenous inmate has died after an apparent altercation involving prison guards at a South Australian jail.
The man allegedly attacked five prison officers at the Yatala Labour prison on Friday while he waiting for a scheduled video-link court appearance. Police say the 29-year-old man, known only as Mr Morrison for cultural reasons, died early on Monday morning at the Royal Adelaide hospital where he had been in a serious condition since Friday.
Authorities alleged Morrison was involved in an altercation with two officers, and had to be restrained by three other guards. It was alleged the man was involved in an altercation with five guards at the Yatala labour prison on Friday while waiting for a scheduled court video link appearance, correctional services minister Peter Malinauskas said.
It is understood Morrison was then taken back to the maximum security area of the prison, when he suffered a medical episode, believed to be a cardiac arrest.It is understood Morrison was then taken back to the maximum security area of the prison, when he suffered a medical episode, believed to be a cardiac arrest.
The man’s sister Latoya Rule disputed the allegation, saying her brother, who was barely 1.5m tall, “was a non-violent fisherman and artist”.The man’s sister Latoya Rule disputed the allegation, saying her brother, who was barely 1.5m tall, “was a non-violent fisherman and artist”.
Several guards were also injured in the incident, including two who suffered facial fractures. Major crime detectives are investigating the incident and police are also preparing a report for the coroner.
Malinauskas said he had not been advised of the exact cause of the man’s death. But he said he had “100% confidence” SA police investigators would do everything they could to find out exactly what happened.
“I have already been advised by the police commissioner that Sapol are putting substantial resources into this so we do find out exactly what did take place,” he told ABC radio on Monday.
“I as much as anybody am very keen to make sure that we do that, so that if people have acted in a way that isn’t appropriate they can be held to account, and we can do everything we can to make sure we don’t see deaths like this into the future.”
He said two of the five prison guards involved in the incident suffered serious injuries, including facial fractures, but all had since been discharged from hospital.
“I do, no doubt, feel for them in the fact that they are going to be subject to an enormous amount of scrutiny, as is appropriate, so let’s just wait and see what the outcome of these investigations are,” he said.
He said there was no information suggesting that overcrowding at the prison contributed to the violent incident.
South Australian Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement deputy chair Tauto Sansbury said the man’s family and his group had been kept “completely in the dark” over key details.
“The family has been basically locked out of seeing the young lad, at the first instance when he was at the hospital,” he told ABC radio.
Malinauskas said no information was being covered up to protect people.
“I completely reject any suggestion that somehow there is a conspiracy to cover up or not disclose information here,” he said.