ALICE SPRINGS — Northern Territory police arrested Jefferson Lewis at a residence in Alice Springs late Thursday in connection with the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. A crowd later clashed with officers outside the hospital where Lewis was being treated, before he was flown to Darwin.

The arrest of the 47-year-old was confirmed in a statement by Northern Territory police just before 10 p.m. local time on Thursday. "A short time ago, the Northern Territory police force located and arrested Jefferson Lewis at a residence in Alice Springs," the statement said.

Police took Lewis to a hospital in Alice Springs on Thursday night. Hundreds of local people gathered outside the hospital as news of the arrest spread. Police vehicles and bins were set on fire, and objects were thrown at officers, who responded with teargas. In video footage from the scene, voices could be heard shouting "Don't put him in the ambulance."

Lewis was subsequently transported to Darwin by the police air wing and remained in police custody. Northern Territory police commissioner Martin Dole said the transfer was made for safety reasons rather than medical ones. "The move was not for medical reasons but absolutely in relation to safety concerns – safety concerns for the hospital and medical staff, safety concerns for the police, and lastly safety concerns for Mr Lewis himself," he said.

Dole defended the decision to protect Lewis while in custody. "Our job, our police swear an oath to serve and protect, we don't get to choose who we protect," he said. "So the safety of Mr Lewis was important as well and he's been relocated to Darwin."

Dole said the situation in Alice Springs had since stabilized. "The unrest had been quelled and there was a sense of calm at the moment across Alice Springs," he said.