'Open season on blackfellas?': Tensions high after Geraldton mum shot by police
Friends and family of a Yamatji woman shot by police overnight have gathered outside the Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service and the local police station protesting her death.
Joyce Clarke, 29, was carrying a knife when she was shot by a police officer on Petchell Street in Karloo about 6.15pm on Tuesday.
She later died at Geraldton Regional Hospital, where her friends and family gathered on Wednesday morning for a "meeting" to protest why she was shot by police rather than being tasered.
The gathering was organised by friends of Ms Clarke, and they met outside the GRAMS centre about 10am to mourn her.
Police attended the scene outside the medical centre on the corner of Fitzgerald and Alice Street just after 12pm and reported it as a "disturbance".
A large group of people also gathered outside the Geraldton Police Station, where only one officer is believed to be stationed inside.
Vision from Nine News Perth showed a group of about 100 people, with many holding the Aboriginal flag, and about eight officers outside the station.
Signs by protesters read "is it open season on blackfellas?", "what is a taser for? RIP Joyce", and "black lives matter", and when police attempted to speak to organisers, protesters repeatedly yelled questions about the circumstances of Ms Clarke's death.
One woman told Nine News's Kelly Haywood Ms Clarke should not have been shot.
“If she had a knife, Taser her. Don’t shoot her,” she said.
Footage also showed a heated argument where one of the protesters accused a man of "talking s--t".
Another protester yelled at police "genocide never left us", and just after 12.30pm, officers agreed to calls from protesters to lower the Aboriginal flag to half mast outside the station.
Protesters have also called for an independent investigation into Ms Clarke's death rather than an internal review by the WA police.
Commander Regional WA Alan Morton told reporters inside the Geraldton Police Station the protesters had been respectful.
"My heart goes out to those people outside the Geraldton police station and we’ve been speaking with them and I’d like to applaud them for the respect they’ve shown the family of the 29-year-old woman and also the respect they’ve shown police," he said.
"Right now I can imagine that everyone wants answers as to what happened, [and] why has this tragic incident unfolded the way it has.
"I empathise with them and ... I will be engaging with community members to try to offer them support ... but also work with them to make sure we all get the best outcome for everyone in Geraldton and the Mid West Gascoyne, but no one more so than the family of the 29-year-old woman."
He went on to say he said he did not expect unrest but police were prepared if it happened.
“I don’t have any real concern of rioting overnight," Mr Morton said.
"In fact we will be doing everything possible to ensure that we work with the community to reassure them and reduce the risk of any public disorder."
It is the second death in police custody in Geraldton in the last five years.