Family and Community Overwhelmed by Grief After 23-Year-Old Aboriginal Man Dies in Adelaide Custody

Family members of a young Aboriginal man who died in custody in Adelaide's CBD say they and their community have been overwhelmed by sorrow and grief.

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that this story includes the name of an Indigenous person who has died.

Mourners last night gathered for a private vigil in tribute to the 23-year-old at Kingston Gardens on West Terrace, close to where the man died on Thursday, July 23.

The man, Kunmanara Ingkatji — whom the ABC has been given permission to name — was from Pukatja, also known as Ernabella, on South Australia's Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands.

Police last week said that he became unresponsive after resisting arrest and died at the scene, and that his death was now the subject of multiple investigations.

Among the 30-odd people who attended Friday night's vigil were extended family and Indigenous community members, including Jennifer Ingkatji and Nyunmiti Burton, who are older sisters of the man's mother.

Ms Burton remembered her nephew as a "beautiful child", and said that when police told her of his death, she was so shocked "it nearly took my breath away".

"My spirit went down, deep inside," she said.

"I was just frozen. I was standing. I was just calling my sister's name. I was nearly [having a] heart attack.

"I gave the phone to Jennifer and the same thing happened to my sister."

Ms Ingkatji said she had been left grief-stricken, as had her community.

"They are still crying," she said.

"I was really shocked, you know. I nearly had a fit.

"After the police told us, me and my sister couldn't sleep 'til sunrise because we'd been crying, crying, crying."

Mourners were openly wailing as people took turns to light candles in memory of the 23-year-old man.

Some attendees wore bright yellow — the man's favourite colour — and held yellow flowers in their hands as they sang Presbyterian hymns in Pitjantjatjara.

The private vigil was organised by Pitjantjatjara woman Melissa Thompson, who is also an aunty of the man.

"He was loving and helpful and kind, and I'm going to miss his smiles and his laugh," she said of the 23-year-old.

Ms Thompson said the man's death had "made us heartbroken".

"The community back in Ernabella, they are missing him so deeply. They have a sorrow camp and [are] thinking of us today, and they're the ones who gave us the permission [for this vigil].

"So we stand for them and the rest of the family.

"We are still grieving and we want to have the memorial here … and the loving ones to come together."

Ms Burton said the vigil had been good for the community.

"People are thinking about us from Northern Territory, South Australia, they are all thinking about us," she said.

SA Police last week said the circumstances of the man's death were being examined by three separate investigations.

It said the Major Crime Investigation branch was preparing a report for the coroner.

A Police Commissioner's Inquiry and an investigation conducted by the Ethical and Professional Standards Branch, overseen by the Office of Public Integrity, are also underway.