Watchdog Slams Federal Police Over “Staggering” Conduct Following Mistaken Arrest of Indigenous Teenager

A damning report from the Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman has placed the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and its community policing arm, ACT Policing, under intense scrutiny after officers pulled guns on an Indigenous teenager they had wrongly identified as a suspect in an aggravated burglary.

The investigation, released on Tuesday, follows the harrowing November 2025 incident in which a 17-year-old, referred to as “Jay,” was swarmed by armed police after boarding a bus in Woden.

A “Staggering” Abuse of Power

According to the report, officers stormed the bus with weapons drawn, forced the teenager to the ground, and handcuffed him. Within 90 seconds, police realized they had the wrong person. However, instead of immediately de-escalating, officers proceeded to conduct an unauthorized search of the boy.

Commonwealth and ACT Ombudsman Iain Anderson expressed disbelief at the officers’ conduct, noting that after realizing the teenager was innocent, one officer reportedly suggested: “Hey, here’s an opportunity. Let’s search him anyway even though we know he’s not the person we’re looking for.”

“It was a bit staggering for me to see that that was their approach,” Anderson said, concluding that the search was conducted “inappropriately and seemingly unlawfully.”

Lack of Definition for “Racial Profiling”

While the investigation found no evidence that Jay’s Indigenous background was a direct factor in the use of force, Anderson issued a scathing critique of the AFP’s failure to adopt a clear, standardized definition of racial profiling.

The report highlighted that the original police description of the burglary suspect relied heavily on the term “Aboriginal male,” a practice the ombudsman labeled “unhelpful” and reliant on “outdated, stereotypical physical traits.”

Impact on the Community

For Jay’s family, the trauma of the incident persists. In a statement, they expressed feelings of helplessness and fear, emphasizing that the state of their interaction with law enforcement is a matter of urgent concern.

“The only way forward is for ACT Policing to truly listen, to own their mistakes, and to commit to doing better, not just for [Jay], but for all our children and future generations,” the family said.

The report noted that the four-minute incident has caused significant damage to the already fragile relationship between ACT Policing and local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Reforms and Next Steps

The ombudsman issued eight recommendations, which the AFP has largely accepted. Key requirements include:

• Reviewing the use of race as a proxy for physical descriptions in police alerts.
• Developing clearer command guidance for incidents.
• Establishing a formal definition of “racial profiling” aligned with the Racial Discrimination Act.

While the AFP agreed in principle to define racial profiling, it indicated it is still determining the appropriate internal policy framework to house that definition.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett reaffirmed the force’s commitment to “continuous improvement,” while ACT Chief Police Officer Scott Lee has previously issued an apology to Jay and his family, acknowledging the profound trauma inflicted during the encounter.