JC murder trial: Hundreds gather to protest acquittal of police officer who fatally shot Yamatiji mother

Hundreds gathered at Parliament today to protest the acquittal of the police officer who fatally shot a Yamatji woman in Geraldton – with actor Ernie Dingo stepping between police and protestors as emotions ran high. Around 150 people gathered on the steps of parliament this morning to mourn the death of ‘JC’. The Geraldton mother-of-one was fatally shot by a police officer in September 2019. The officer who fired the shot was acquitted last week. The protestors were met with a heavy police presence, with more than 50 officers lining the steps of parliament. Though the protest was peaceful, more police arrived after a brief confrontation as a protestor attempted to mark red handprints on the walls of the building. Entertainer Ernie Dingo helped to de-escalate the tension, stepping between the officers and the protestor. He later addressed the crowd, urging them to channel their anger to make change. “Shouting at these blokes here won’t do nothing – because they’ve got to answer to the people upstairs,” he said. “There’s been too many deaths in custody, there’s been too many deaths that are unwarranted. “We can’t move on if we (are) full of hate. We can’t move on if we don’t get the answers we want.” JC’s sister Bernadette said she had to “stand strong” for her sister. “My sister needs justice, my sister deserves to rest in peace in a proper manner,” she said. “We will never be happy until this man who pulled the trigger is held accountable.” JC’s nine year old son was also seen at the rally, holding a sign reading: “Black lives matter.” JC was suffering from poor mental health when she took a kitchen knife and scissors from the home of her relatives. The acquitted officer – one of eight sent to the scene – shot her 16 seconds after exiting his vehicle. At today’s protest, her friends and family urged the government to invest in prison and mental health services. “What we are asking for is mass investments to help the most marginalised,” said Megan Krakouer, from the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project “We posted a $5 billion surplus. So why are our people dying?”