'I can’t breathe': Aborginal man's death in custody has haunting similarities to killing of George Floyd - as GoFundMe page raises $350,000 to help his family fight for justice
- David Dungay Jr died in Long Bay in 2015 after being held face-down by officers
- The 26-year-old was caught on film screaming 'I can't breathe' before his death
- Up to five prison officers were involved and found not responsible for his death
- More than $345,000 has been raised for Dungay's family in their fight for justice
- George Floyd protests renewed focus on the mistreatment of Aboriginal people
- More than 400 Indigenous people have died while in custody since 1991
The uproar over George Floyd's killing at the hands of police is helping shed light on the death in custody of an Aboriginal man whose last moments bear chilling similarities to those of his American counterpart.
Dunghutti man David Dungay Jr died in hospital at Sydney's Long Bay Jail in December 2015 after being restrained face-down by prison officers.
The 26-year-old was captured on video being restrained by up to five officers from Long Bay's Immediate Action Team while he screamed 'I can't breathe' before his death.
Mr Dungay's nephew Paul Francis-Silva told the ABC his family felt solidarity with George Floyd's relatives after the men died in such similar circumstances.
'I couldn't really watch the video all the way through,' Francis-Silva said.
David Dungay Jr died in Long Bay in 2015 after being held face-down by prison officers
'We really do feel for the family over in the US, because we do know how it feels to actually watch a video clip of a loved one being suffocated to death.'
Global protests about Mr Floyd's death at the hands of police have brought a renewed focus on the systemic mistreatment of Australia's Aboriginal people, with more than 400 indigenous people dying in custody since 1991.
Mr Dungay was in the prison hospital suffering from mental health issues and was just three weeks from being paroled when he died.
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NSW deputy state coroner Derek Lee found he died from cardiac arrhythmia, with factors in his death including acute stress, antipsychotic medication and type 1 diabetes.
The Immediate Action Team officers were found not to be responsible for his death.
Mr Dungay's family launched a GoFundMe in 2017 to fight for justice and raise money for legal costs and an appeal to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Paul Francis-Silva with Mr Dungay's mother Leetona during an Invasion Day rally in Sydney in 2019
At least five prison officers were captured on video holding down Mr Dungay as he screamed 'I can't breathe' before his death
The fund had around $3,000 in it on May 29, but the response to Mr Floyd's death and increased scrutiny the treatment of Indigenous people in Australia have now helped raise more than $345,000.
More than half a million dollars has been donated to GoFundMe pages set up for Indigenous people in the past three days.
A page for Northern Territory man Kumanjayi Walker, who was allegedly shot by police in his home in Yuendumu in November 2019, now has more than $200,000 in donations.
Mr Walker's family said Mr Floyd's death had brought attention to injustices that have occurred to many Indigenous people.
'This astonishing event has shone the light on our own deaths in custody problems in Australia,’ a statement on their fundraiser reads.
More than $200,000 has been raised through GoFundMe for Kumanjayi Walker, who was allegedly shot dead by police in his home in Yuendumu in Central Australia in November 2019
GoFundMe spokesperson Nicola Britton told 7News the donations were unprecedented.
'We have never seen this amount of support for indigenous causes ever in Australia,' she said.
The footage of Mr Dungay's death has been released, which Mr Francis-Silva said will highlight the devastation felt by the family in the tragedy.
Mr Francis-Silva hopes the protests brought on by Mr Floyd's death will focus Australians' attention on the mistreatment of Indigenous people.
'We need to be just as outraged with what's going on in our own backyard,' he said.
Human rights lawyer Professor George Newhouse Tweet showing Mr Dungay's last words as he was restrained by officers in Long Bay Jail
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