Key facts
- An Indigenous teenager was wrongfully arrested at gunpoint on a bus in Canberra.
- Police mistook the teenager for a suspect in an aggravated burglary.
- The ombudsman found the teenager was searched "inappropriately and seemingly unlawfully" after his release.
- The investigation made eight recommendations to the Australian federal police (AFP) and ACT Policing.
- The ombudsman expressed concern over the AFP's lack of a clear definition for "racial profiling".
The commonwealth and ACT ombudsman has criticized the Australian federal police (AFP) and ACT Policing for their handling of an incident where an Indigenous teenager, referred to as Jay, was wrongfully arrested at gunpoint on a bus in November 2025. Three officers boarded the bus with guns drawn, removed Jay, handcuffed him, and arrested him, mistaking him for a suspect in an aggravated burglary. Police realized their error less than 90 seconds later, releasing and apologizing to Jay, but the ombudsman concluded he was searched "inappropriately and seemingly unlawfully" after his release.
The scathing investigation, released on Tuesday, made eight recommendations, including that ACT Policing review its use of race as a physical descriptor and develop clearer guidance for incident command roles. The ombudsman also expressed concern that the AFP "had no clearly understood definition of ‘racial profiling’". Jay's family described the incident as deeply traumatic, stating they felt "helpless" and "scared".
Both ACT Policing and the AFP accepted the recommendations in principle. AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett stated a commitment to continuous improvement and rebuilding trust, while ACT's chief police officer, Scott Lee, apologized for the incident and acknowledged the trauma it caused to Jay, his family, and the broader Indigenous community.