AFP will not reveal disciplinary outcomes for officers in 'unlawful' arrest - ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The ombudsman's report found police had failed in their responsibility to Jay as a young Aboriginal person. (ABC News: Ian Cutmore)

Last month, an ombudsman review found Australian Federal Police officers subjected an Indigenous teenager to a "seemingly unlawful" search in a case of mistaken identity.

The watchdog was investigating "serious questions" raised in the aftermath of the teenager's arrest in Canberra's south, after he was pulled from a bus at gunpoint by officers.

An internal AFP investigation into the incident has now cleared the force of discrimination or using excessive force, but did not reveal disciplinary outcomes for the officers involved.

An internal investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) into the mistaken arrest of a First Nations teenager has cleared it of discrimination or using excessive force.

In November last year, police drew their guns on a 17-year-old Indigenous boy at a Woden bus interchange and handcuffed him before realising they had the wrong person.

A Commonwealth Ombudsman review found the police subjected an Indigenous teenager to an "inappropriate", "seemingly unlawful", and "potentially lethal" search in a case of mistaken identity by officers.

The watchdog was investigating "serious questions" raised in the aftermath of the teenager's arrest in Canberra's south, after he was pulled from a bus at gunpoint by officers.

The 17-year-old had been mistaken for a man armed with a knife who had earlier allegedly attempted to carjack a vehicle near Woden.

Once off the bus, the teenager — to whom the ombudsman gave the pseudonym 'Jay' — was pushed face down onto the ground and arrested before officers realised they had the wrong person.

The family of the young Aboriginal boy said their "trust has been broken" after the incident. (ABC News: Callum Flinn)

The AFP released a statement late on Friday afternoon announcing it had completed its investigation, but said it would not reveal disciplinary outcomes for the officers involved in the arrest.

"While it is not appropriate to comment on the detailed outcomes of individual investigations, there was no evidence to suggest race or other discriminatory factors influenced interactions between police and the young person, or that excessive force was used during the arrest," it said in a statement.

"Consistent with the AFP Integrity Framework, any established findings will be considered for appropriate action. This may include a range of sanctions or other remedial measures.

"No further comment will be made in relation to these investigations."

The AFP said it would not be publicly releasing the details of the six Professional Standards Unit investigations into the mistaken arrest.

In a report released last month, ACT and Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson found that once police had realised their mistake, they unlawfully searched the teenager anyway.

"Jay was innocent, mistakenly arrested and subjected to the use of potentially lethal force."

He said at the heart of the case "was a series of human errors".

"[These] all contributed to the decisions that led to an innocent young Aboriginal person being taken from a bus at gunpoint, mistakenly arrested, inappropriately and seemingly unlawfully searched and then sent on his way without appropriate aftercare."

However, he did not find evidence to support the view that race led to increased, heightened, or more extreme uses of force.

Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson found that once police had realised their mistake, they unlawfully searched the teenager anyway. (ABC News: Adam Shirley)

In a statement included in the report, Jay's family said what happened to the teen "still sits heavy with all of us".

"What hurt the most was not just the incident itself, but how he was treated, it didn't feel fair, it didn't feel right, and it didn't feel like he was seen or respected as a young Aboriginal boy, but also as a human being with rights and dignity," Jay's family said.

"For our community, trust isn't given lightly. It's built through honesty, respect, and consistent action over time.