A 14-year-old boy was speared in the back during a violent dispute between two family groups in Ngukurr, a remote Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory's Roper Gulf region. The incident, which police say occurred amid escalating tensions and reports of people carrying weapons, highlights ongoing community unrest in one of the territory's larger remote settlements, home to just over 1,000 people.

The disturbance began on Friday evening when police were alerted to a large confrontation involving weapons between the two groups. Tensions flared further on Saturday afternoon, and at around 5.35pm police received reports that the boy had been speared in the middle of his back. He was treated at the local health clinic before being medically evacuated by CareFlight for further treatment and is reported to be in a stable condition. Police are now working alongside local leaders and Elders to try to prevent further violence.