Review: Intense docuseries '2.6 Seconds' explores Kumanjayi Walker's death

The four-part documentary series "2.6 Seconds: Death in the Outback," directed by Darren Dale, examines the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker by police officer Zachary Rolfe in Yuendumu, Northern Territory, in November 2019.

The title refers to the interval between two shots fired during an attempted arrest. Although Rolfe was acquitted of murder and manslaughter charges three years later, a coroner subsequently found him racist, noting his attitude may have contributed to Walker's death.

Critics describe the series as shockingly intense and one of Australia's most compelling documentaries. It avoids simplifying narratives and instead scrutinizes systemic failures surrounding Indigenous deaths in custody, colonial history, policing power dynamics, and race. The film utilizes body-worn camera footage, courtroom testimonies, coronial inquiries, and interviews with Walker's family to illustrate how historical events like the 1928 Conniston Massacre continue to impact contemporary Aboriginal communities.