A year after a disabled Aboriginal man’s death in a supermarket, his family has learned the two plain-clothes officers who forcibly restrained him will not be charged.

Kumanjayi White, 24, died in Alice Springs in May 2025 after the officers held him down, sparking national outrage and rallies calling for an independent investigation.

Northern Territory Police confirmed on Tuesday that the Director of Public Prosecutions had provided advice on the investigation into the death.

Police Commissioner Martin Dole said advice from prosecutors was that there was “no reasonable prospect of a successful prosecution”.

He said the decision would cause “distress, pain and anger” for White’s family and the broader community and he urged a peaceful response to the decision.

Senior police had spoken with the family and officers involved on Tuesday ahead of a media conference at the Alice Springs police station.

“We recognise this will be an emotional day for many people across the Northern Territory and ask the community to respond peacefully and respectfully,” NT Police said in a statement.

White, who had a mental disability and was in care, died on May 27 in the Alice Springs supermarket’s confectionery aisle.

Police allege he was shoplifting and assaulted a security guard.

In a statement on Tuesday White’s family said they were heartbroken after being told no charges would be laid and asked when would they see justice.

“We have got no hope. When will we have our justice? How can we keep living like this?” said a statement to the ABC.

The family said they were still in the process of grieving for Kumanjayi Little Baby and this news had brought “grief, on top of grief, on top of grief”.

“Today the police turned up in Lajamanu with the acting director of public prosecutions and told the family that they are not proceeding with any charges.

“With hardly any notice, without asking permission, they just turned up in Lajamanu with their police plane.”

They said they were going into a “black-out” for a week and asked to be left alone.

NT Police rejected calls for an independent inquiry and refused to stand the officers down or release CCTV footage of the incident, as demanded by White’s family led by his grandfather Ned Jampijinpa Hargraves.

An undisclosed interstate police force reviewed the use-of-force investigation ahead of prosecutors deciding whether to lay charges against the officers.

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-AAP