Violence Erupts in Australian Town After Arrest of Suspect in Girl's Killing, crowd injures suspect

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/world/australia/alice-springs-jefferson-lewis-girl-kumanjayi.html

Violence Erupts in Australian Town After Arrest of Suspect in Girl’s Killing
Police in Alice Springs fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse an angry crowd demanding justice.

Violence erupted across a rural town in Australia on Thursday night, after a crowd of people assaulted a man suspected of killing a five-year-old Indigenous girl and then clashed with the police officers who were arresting him.

Officers transported the man, Jefferson Lewis, to a hospital in Alice Springs, where hundreds of people yelled and threw rocks, bottles and other projectiles at the police, according to the national broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Mr. Lewis, 47, is suspected of the killing of Kumanjayi Little Baby, as the five-year-old girl is being referred to per her family’s request and Indigenous customs. Many in the crowd outside the hospital said he should be killed and accused the police of protecting him, the ABC reported.

Emergency vehicles were damaged or set on fire as the police fired rubber bullets and tear gas in an attempt to disperse the crowd.

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Mr. Lewis was unconscious by the time the authorities arrived, and the crowd of about 200 people “turned on” and attacked emergency responders, Commissioner Dole said.