Up to 100 people in Wadeye 'disturbance', some armed with bows, spears

Police respond to armed disturbance in Wadeye involving up to 100 people, bows, spearsPosted Tue 15 Sep 2026 at 1:30pmTue 15 Sep 2026 at 1:30pmPolice say some members of the group of up to 100 people were armed with compound bows, spears and metal objects. (ABC News: Hamish Harty)Police are investigating an armed "disturbance" involving up to 100 people in the remote Northern Territory community of Wadeye, 250 kilometres south-west of Darwin, overnight.An NT Police spokesperson said officers responded to reports of a conflict between two family groups at about 11:45pm, with a number of people "armed with weapons, including compound bows, spears and metal objects"."During the disturbance, a 22-year-old man suffered serious injuries after allegedly being struck in the back with a three-pronged spear," they said."Police entered a residence and safely extracted the injured man before escorting him to the Wadeye health clinic for treatment."Wadeye is a community of about 2,000 people on the Northern Territory's south-west coast. (ABC News: James Dunlevie)The spokesperson said a vehicle at near the rear of the property was also set on fire after allegedly being surrounded by members of one of the groups, with police yet to identify the vehicle's owner.They said additional police resources were recalled to duty to help restore order and investigations were ongoing.The incident comes just weeks after another violent clash in the community, where a group of armed men allegedly pelted police officers with rocks, window louvres and metal bars.On August 16, officers were forced to use pepper spray on the crowd after one person allegedly fired a compound bow, striking a police car with an arrow.