ACT police have faced intense questioning after a sergeant drew his firearm on a public bus during the mistaken arrest of an innocent 17-year-old Aboriginal boy. The incident, which occurred on the evening of November 12, 2025, has been labelled as racial profiling by advocates and left the teenager very traumatised according to his family.
Dramatic Bus Confrontation Details Emerge
During a Senate Estimates hearing at the ACT Legislative Assembly on November 20, it was revealed that a sergeant and two plain-clothes officers boarded a Canberra bus with a police gun in a ready position. The officers were responding to multiple radio calls and triple-zero reports about an alleged stabber described as a young male with dark skin, suspected to be Indigenous or African.
Commander of Investigations Andrew Bailey told the committee that police received reports of a young male allegedly carrying a 30-centimetre knife into Westfield Woden, smashing display cases in a phone shop, stabbing a woman in the thumb, and forcibly removing a driver from their car. A report indicated the suspect had boarded a bus around 6:08pm.
The 17-year-old on the bus was mistakenly identified as the suspect. Commander Bailey stated the teenager was compliant and walked to the front of the bus with his hands raised. The entire incident lasted about two minutes, during which the boy was put on the ground and handcuffed while officers checked if he matched a recently circulated CCTV photo of the alleged offender.
Police Defend Actions in Heated Hearing
ACT Chief Police Officer, Deputy Commissioner Scott Lee, defended the officers' actions, stating they were responding to a highly dynamic incident with violent reports. He emphasised that until officers entered the bus, they were not aware whether the young person would be compliant.
Greens member Shane Rattenbury challenged the police response, asking Why was it appropriate to enter with [weapons drawn] in the context of both a crowded vehicle and a compliant target person? Doesn't feel very de-escalatory.
Commander Bailey explained that when officers boarded the bus, they were using their best observations based on the descriptions provided. He noted the 17-year-old was wearing similar clothes to what the alleged offender was described as wearing.
Allegations of Racial Profiling and Inequitable Treatment
The hearing saw strong criticism from committee members about the identification process. Chiaka Barry MLA questioned how police could distinguish someone of Indigenous background from other ethnicities, asking How can you tell someone presenting of an Aboriginal description to, say somebody who is from an Indian background who's probably mixed with an African?
Thomas Emerson MLA told the committee he had spoken to people who knew both teenagers and revealed that one was tall while the other was short. The only thing they have in common is that they're both Aboriginal and happened to be wearing similar clothes last Wednesday, he said, questioning whether this represented inequitable treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The alleged armed offender police were actually seeking was identified as a 15-year-old boy, who was arrested later that day.
Apology and Ongoing Investigation
Deputy Commissioner Lee apologised to the boy and his family earlier on November 21 but maintained support for his officers' actions, stating the arrest could not be avoided. He confirmed the incident would be internally investigated by police in consultation with the ACT Ombudsman.
The committee resolved that body-worn footage of the incident would be viewed in confidence and not publicly released. Despite the family's request for the involved officers to be stood down during the investigation, police confirmed the officers remain on duty.
The acting Commissioner for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people was among those who deemed the incident an act of racial profiling, highlighting ongoing concerns about policing practices and their impact on Indigenous communities in the ACT.
