Victoria Police apologize to family after injured man died following delayed medical care
Victoria Police have issued an apology to the family of John Makai, who died in hospital after a serious head injury was not treated promptly while he was in police custody.
During a 2023 incident, John Makai was injured after an altercation at a Sunbury house and was subsequently escorted to Broadmeadows police station while heavily intoxicated and showing signs of head injury. CCTV captured officers dragging him into a cell without providing medical care, and the police later claimed he responded to checks that the video disproved. A first ambulance request was cancelled, and a subsequent request was not logged due to a Triple Zero system error, resulting in a five-hour delay before paramedics arrived.
When finally examined, Makai was found to have a non-survivable brain trauma and died in hospital two days later. At the coroner’s inquest, Victoria Police’s chief commissioner’s lawyer, Andrew Imrie, apologized to Makai’s family, acknowledged failures in medical checklists, risk assessment, and monitoring, and said disciplinary action had been taken where justified.
Why it matters
The case highlights serious lapses in police custody medical protocols and emergency response handling.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTLeft-leaning coverage stresses police negligence and the video evidence of officers dragging the injured man, while centrist coverage frames the story as an admission of procedural failures and standards not being met.
LEFT
Police misconduct and systemic errors are highlighted, with emphasis on video proof of officers dragging the victim and a botched ambulance request.
CENTER
The narrative centers on the police force’s admission of mistakes and that care fell short of established standards.
The left emphasises
- officers dragged John Makai into a cell without medical care
- the first ambulance request was cancelled and a second was not logged due to a Triple Zero error
- police claims about his responsiveness were contradicted by CCTV
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