Chloe Hooper: The Tall Man

In this week's edition of Big Issue, the cover story is about Chloe Hooper's latest book, The Tall Man.

There was also an interview on ABC Classic FM today with her and Margaret Throsby. (Has not been uploaded at time of posting.)

As reported by Sarah Stephens in Palm Island: Police terror follows death in custody:

At 11.20am on November 19, a 36-year-old Aboriginal man, Cameron Doomadgee, died in the police watch-house on Palm Island, 70km north of Townsville. An hour earlier he was very much alive, singing along the street. He was arrested for public drunkenness and locked up as a ‘‘public nuisance’‘.

...

Koch wrote in the Australian on November 29: ‘‘Two Aboriginal men who were in the cells at the time have given statements that they saw [Doomadgee] being punched and beaten by Chris Hurley, a senior sergeant.’‘

Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley was acquitted of the charge of manslaughter in July 2007.

Hooper was unable to interview Hurley. But Hooper was interested because:

One intriguing aspect of the case is that Hurley, who had been working in 'frontier' communities like this one for several years, seemed to be a model of reconciliation: a man who had admitted to realising he was a racist and deliberately changing his ways. He was especially known for his work with Aboriginal children and his friendship with an Aboriginal activist, Murrandoo Yanner. (p.16)

However, Paul Benedek writes about Palm Island cop's violent history:

In evidence that was previously suppressed, but has now been allowed after a Supreme Court challenge, Palm Island residents are alleging detailing a history of violence by Senior Sergeant Chris Hurley, the officer who arrested Mulrunji and claims he “fell” to his death.

Looks like the only way for Hurley to escape racism is to leave the Police Service. The culture of police racism is so great that someone of Hurley's inclination is dragged back into its maw even as he struggles against it.