WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this story contains the image of a person who is deceased.
The man suspected of abducting and murdering a little girl in the Northern Territory was beaten unconscious before officers arrived to arrest him, NT Police Commissioner Martin Dole said this morning.
Jefferson Lewis, the 47-year-old man suspected of murdering Kumanjayi Little Baby, was arrested by police shortly after 10pm.
Lewis was taken to Alice Springs hospital, where a large crowd assembled outside and demanded that Lewis be handed over to be dealt with by the community. He has now been moved to Darwin in a bid to ease tensions in the community.
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Shouts of "they got him" could be heard as violence broke out, with at least one police car set on fire outside the hospital.
Dole told ABC radio a crowd of 400 "angry people" gathered outside the hospital, and he pleaded with the community to let police do their job.
He said several people had been injured in the chaos overnight, including two police officers, two ambulance officers, and one firefighter.
Police were forced to take shelter behind cars and under riot shields.
Footage from the scene shows police yelling for the crowd to "get back" as they press in.
Officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters as tensions grew, the newspaper said.
No arrests have been made yet, Dole told the ABC.
Police cars and rubbish bins were set on fire and the windows of a service station across the road from the hospital smashed.
"To go from being distraught and bereft yesterday after hearing about the loss of little Kumanjayi, to now having to deal with probably one of the biggest riots we've seen in Alice Springs ever, it's crazy," NT Legislative Assembly Speaker Robyn Lambley told Today.
"It's really inexplicable."
Lambley said the riot was likely inspired by the ethos of "payback" among some local Indigenous people.
"When somebody is killed or murdered, there is payback," she told Today.
But she said it was the work of a small group of people and that most people, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, in Alice Springs, did not engage in the violence.
Nonetheless, the front of the hospital was "notoriously" a dangerous place, with several murders taking place there in "recent history".
"You can understand people being angry, angry is a normal part of grief," she said of last night's riot, before decrying it as "completely unacceptable".
"There was a woman in labour who could not access the hospital because of the riot," she said.
Devastating discovery
Just before midday on Thursday, Northern Territory police found the body of a girl they said was five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, as she is now referred to in line with local Indigenous customs.
The girl had vanished over the weekend, believed to have been taken by a man police identified as Jefferson Lewis.
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Just after 10pm overnight (10.32pm AEST), police announced a breakthrough they had vowed to make.
"A short time ago, the Northern Territory Police Force located and arrested Jefferson Lewis at a residence in Alice Springs," they said in a statement.
"Further information will be provided early in the morning."
Dole told ABC radio this morning that Lewis identified himself to community members in a town camp in Alice Springs.
"We had several calls that he was being assaulted at that time and we turned up and intervened in that assault and took him into custody," he said.
"It's my understanding at that time he was unconscious."
Dole said police and ambulance officers were attacked by a crowd of about 200 at the scene of the arrest.
Lewis had been the only person police said they were seeking in relation to the suspected abduction of the little girl.
Dole told ABC radio Lewis had been transferred to Darwin for his own safety and that of police and hospital staff, and that he had been listed as "fit for custody" by health services.
Charges are expected to be laid in coming days. Dole said "significant investigation" was ongoing, including forensic testing.
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Dole said there was a "sense of calm" in Alice Springs this morning.
Senator Malarndirri McCarthy also spoke to ABC and urged the community to let police do their job.
"We need to bring elders together and just bring calm, because Mr Lewis is now under arrest, in custody and there has to be a process now for the investigation to occur," she said.
"And just so it isn't jeopardised in any particular way."
Broken hearts for 'a little queen'
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the child's mother and brother said they were devastated by her death.
"To Kumanjayi Little Baby, me and [your brother] Ramsiah miss and love you," the statement said.
"I know you are in heaven with the rest of the family with Jesus, and the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
"Me and your brother will meet you one day, we are giving our lives to Jesus.
"It is going to be so hard to live the rest of our lives without you.
"Ramsiah wants to tell you that when he sees you in heaven he is going to give you the biggest hug ever.
"Love from Mum and Ramsiah."
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The little girl's grandfather, Robin Granites, showed 9News where his granddaughter had been sleeping.
She had been staying there the night with her mother.
"It really hurts me saying it but she was just a little queen for us, she was a little daughter, she was just a little lady," he said.
The five-year-old's aunt, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, said in a statement tonight the discovery was "devastating".
"As part of her extended family, this loss is deeply felt," Price said.
"This is the worst possible outcome, and no child should ever be placed in harm's way.
"Police have made it clear this is a serious criminal investigation and they will pursue those responsible.
"Right now, the focus must be on supporting her family and allowing police to do their work."
Lambley told Today it was "the saddest story" she had ever heard.
"I think all along I believed this little girl would survive, that we'd find her safe and well," she said.
"And for this man to be still at large up until last night – it's just been the most horrific story you can imagine."
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'We're coming for you'
Police said the little girl's body was found about 5 kilometres south of Old Timers community camp.
Northern Territory Assistant Police Commissioner Peter Malley said earlier on Thursday that the focus of detectives was firmly on tracking down Lewis.
"I say to the family of Jefferson Lewis that we believe he's murdered this child," Malley said.
"Do not assist him, get him to the police station and we'll look after him.
"And I say to Jefferson Lewis: we're coming for you."
Police Commissioner Martin Dole said the discovery of the girl's body was the "worst possible outcome".
"This is an incredibly distressing development," he said.
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Dole said her family has been formally notified by police.
He said officers were not in a position today to provide answers around the cause of the girl's death or how long she may have been dead.
"A post-mortem examination will be conducted, likely tomorrow, and that will be a critical step in establishing those facts.
"The criminal investigation is ongoing and a coronial inquest will now also begin.
"As a result, there will now be limitations on what we can say publicly."
Dole described the news as "devastating" for the family of Kumanjayi Little Baby, first responders, the Alice Springs community and everyone around Australia who has been worried about her.
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"The support shown during the time has been overwhelming."
The girl was reported missing about 1.30am on Sunday.
Yesterday, police revealed they had found clothing on the riverbank near Old Timers Camp during their search.
Malley said the items had been taken to Darwin for analysis.
"We located two DNA profiles [on clothing]… one, as expected, belongs to the little girl and the other belongs to Jefferson Lewis."
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'Dark days like this rock everyone'
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro spoke with the five-year-old's mother to offer her "sincerest and heartfelt condolences" over the phone today.
"Right now we are focused on a grieving family, a grieving town and a grieving Northern Territory," she said.
"As our police have said, we now focus our energy in making sure we find the person who did this and bring them to justice."
Finocchiaro took the opportunity to thank the volunteers who assisted with search efforts.
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"Around 200 people have worked tirelessly around the clock in searching for this beautiful little girl who went missing five days ago," she said.
"For five days, every Territorian has had their heart in their throat waiting for the moment waiting for the moment when we got the announcement that she had been found safe and well.
"That news did not come and it's fair to say that everyone is feeling this loss acutely, everyone is incredibly devastated by the outcome.
"Our hearts are all with people grieving this loss and my thanks go to every single person who volunteered to walk through the bush, to walk through the long grass, to walk up the hills, to do everything that they could to find her.
"To our police and emergency services who've done an incredible job and now focus their energy on bringing the person who did this to justice.
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"I thank everyone and I ask the Alice Springs community to really rally around each other at this devastating time.
"As a mother, as a member of our community, dark days like this rock everyone and the heartbreak of this is real.
"I've also spoken to our colleague Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, who is the aunty of Kumanjayi Little Baby.
"Over the days and weeks, we stick together as Territorians, like we always do.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone at this absolutely awful time."
For 24/7 crisis support run by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, contact 13YARN (13 92 76).
