Inquest into the death of Dwayne Johnstone

43y · Male·Gunshot wound to the chest and abdomen

Dwayne Johnstone, a 43-year-old Aboriginal man, died from a gunshot wound inflicted by a correctional officer during a medical escort from hospital. While in custody on remand, Johnstone experienced an epileptic seizure at court, was assessed and cleared for discharge from hospital, but attempted to escape while being escorted back to the prison van in ankle shackles and handcuffs. Officer A discharged a firearm, with the fatal shot striking Johnstone's chest and abdomen. The inquest identified critical systemic issues: gaps in communication regarding escape risk to escort officers; insufficient training in medical escort scenarios involving shackled prisoners; limited non-lethal weapons available; and legal uncertainty about whether firearm discharge under regulation 303 must comply with the proportionality requirements in regulation 131. The coroner recommended urgent legislative review to clarify and modernise the regulatory framework governing correctional officer firearms use.