Police say they will charge people with unrest in Alice Springs after arrest over death of Kumanjayi Little Baby | Alice Springs

A man is facing charges and more are expected following unrest in Alice Springs after a man was arrested in connection with the death of a five-year-old girl, Northern Territory police said.

The grandfather of Little Baby Kumanjayi, whose body was found on Thursday 5 kilometers from the Old Timers city camp where he was last seen alive on Saturday night, appealed for calm in the central Australian town on Friday and said a violent clash between police and others at an Alice Springs hospital was “not our way”.

The town is in deep mourning over the girl’s death.

Police arrested 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis late Thursday in connection with the child’s disappearance. Authorities had been searching for him since Sunday.

Northern Territory police commissioner Martin Dole told reporters in Alice Springs on Friday that Lewis “presented himself to one of the camps in the town” on Thursday night.

“As a result of him identifying himself, members of the town camp decided to inflict vigilante justice on Jefferson and we received numerous calls saying he was in the process of being attacked,” he said. “We reacted very quickly and stopped this from continuing.”

He said Lewis had been subjected to a “sustained assault” and was unconscious when police and ambulance workers arrived. He later said they were “attacked” by the crowd at the town camp and a police officer needed stitches.

“We transferred Mr Lewis to Alice Springs hospital and shortly afterwards a large crowd gathered and attempted to gain access to that hospital and Mr Lewis,” he said. “The police responded and we called upon every resource at our disposal to quell this violence and disturbance…

“To those involved in this incident, you will face the law just as Jefferson Lewis faced the law, and your actions will not be accepted by us.”

As news of the arrest spread, a crowd of approximately 400 people gathered in front of the hospital. A police car was set on fire, four other police cars and four of five ambulances in the area were damaged, trash cans and bushes were set on fire, and nearby businesses were trashed. A woman who allegedly tried to set fire to a police car has been arrested. Dole said officers from the area response group used “non-lethal munitions and chemical munitions” against the crowd.

Robin Granites, a senior Warlpiri elder and spokesperson for Little Baby Kumantjayi’s family, acknowledged people’s anger as the community grappled with grief but called on the town to come together and respect the family.

“Now is the time to do the grieving work, to respect our family, to make space to grieve and remember,” Granites said. “Everyone is so sad and emotions are so high.

“Our children are very precious, of course we are angry and hurt by what happened.

“This man was caught thanks to community action and now we must let justice take its course as we take time to mourn Little Baby Kumantjayi and support our family.”

Dole said Lewis was transferred to Darwin in the early hours of Friday morning due to safety concerns “for himself and emergency services staff”. He was released from the hospital into police custody.

The police commissioner said violence outside the hospital was unacceptable and a community coming together to search for Little Baby Kumanjayi and now suffering for him was a “perversion”.

“Today I’m just calling for calm in society,” he said.

NT premier Lia Finocchiaro said she understood the pain and anger but said the unrest was neither acceptable nor reflective of society.

“This week we’ve seen this town come together like never before, with hundreds of people walking shoulder to shoulder through the tall camel grass and bushes to make sure we leave no stone unturned,” he said.

Finocchiaro said bottle shops will be closed on Friday and takeaway alcohol sales will be limited to 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday has already restricted alcohol sales, and Monday and Tuesday are dry days.

Dole told reporters that anyone seeking justice through traditional Warlpiri knowledge must respect the “one law” applied in the NT.

“There is only one law, and that law applies to everyone,” Dole said. “Including the people involved in the violence last night.

“Mr Lewis is currently in police custody. There will be a prosecution and the case will continue. I say to the community that this is what is going to happen and it has to be accepted by the community.”