The family of Gomeroi man Gordon Copeland have opened up about his passing, saying they will remember him as a bubbly young man and hope the coronial inquest will answer questions about what happened on the night he died.
On Tuesday night News South Wales police confirmed the human remains found on Thursday in the Gwydir river in the state’s north belong to Copeland, 22.
In a statement, his aunt Lesley Fernando spoke on behalf of his mum Narelle, partner Josephine, and other family members. She said he was “deeply loved”.
“He was a son, father, partner, brother, cousin and nephew. He was excited to welcome another child into the world later this year and we are devastated that his kids will grow up without their dad,” Fernando said.
Gordon’s family said they will remember him as a happy and bubbly young man.
He was last seen alive in the Gwydir river near Moree after a police incident in the early hours of 10 July, and his family have questioned the events that led up to his death.
In a statement released three days after he disappeared, police said they had seen a black hatchback speeding through Moree about 2.30am on 10 July and later found the car bogged near a bridge on the Carnarvon highway.
“Officers attempted to speak with a man at the scene, however he allegedly ran from police and was seen entering the Gwydir river.”
The family has disputed that version of events, saying officers had chased the car and they believe the 22-year-old, who was terrified of the police, dived into the water to get away from them.
The family are critical of NSW police for taking almost three months to find Gordon in the river.
After the police search was scaled down, his family had continued to search the riverbank for some sign of the young father. In July, about 250 people marched in Moree to demand “answers” from NSW police over his disappearance.
“Since Gordon went missing, we’ve been calling the police non-stop, pleading with them to ramp up the search,” Fernando said.
“Police told the media they never stopped searching for Gordon, but we don’t believe that’s true,” Fernando said.
They have been denied access to bodycam footage recorded by the responding officers that night.
“We hope the coronial inquest will give us the answers we deserve. We are looking forward to seeking justice for Gordon,” Fernando said.
In NSW, all deaths in police operations are subject to a coronial inquiry. The Aboriginal Legal Service will represent Gordon’s family in this process.
“We are deeply saddened and furious that another Aboriginal person – a young man of just 22 – has been ripped from his family,” said Nadine Miles, acting CEO of the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited.
“Gordon’s life mattered. He is one of 17 Aboriginal people (who died either in custody or in a police operation) whose coronial inquests we are currently acting in. We don’t want this work to be necessary. No one should be suffering senseless, lonely deaths in rivers, on streets, or in prison cells,” Miles said.
Gordon is one of at least 12 Aboriginal people who have died in custody and police incidents across Australia this year, three of these deaths were in police operations in NSW.
