The Northern Territory Police Commissioner has warned supporters of the man accused of murdering a five-year-old girl in Alice Springs and those who rioted in the aftermath of his arrest that police are coming for them.

Earlier this morning Police Commissioner Martin Dole confirmed Jefferson Lewis was arrested at 10:30pm last night for the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby.

Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this article includes an image of an Indigenous person who has died, used with the permission of their family.

This article also contains details some readers may find distressing.

He said Mr Lewis had been arrested for murder and flown to Darwin after a crowd of about 400 “angry people” gathered outside the Alice Springs hospital trying to get to him and demanding “payback”.

A mugshot of an Aboriginal man, serious expression looking directly at camera, yellow / orange pigment behind brown eyes.

A police mugshot of Alice Springs man Jefferson Lewis. (Supplied: NT Police Force)

Commissioner Dole said police had suspected all along that Mr Lewis had help from community members before he turned up at a town camp last night.

“For him to be able to appear in Alice Springs last night just confirms to us that he was getting support from somebody,” he said.

“My message to those people is, look out because we’re coming for you as well.”

Young girl in pink dress does peace sign with fingers

The body of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby was found just before midday on Thursday. (Supplied: NT Police Force)

Hours after the girl’s death was announced, Mr Lewis, 47, was reportedly spotted wandering outside Charles Creek town camp near the centre of Alice Springs.

“Members of that town camp decided to inflict vigilante justice upon Jefferson and we received numerous phone calls saying he was in the process of being assaulted,” Commissioner Dole said.

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A dark grainy image of two officers leaning down to hold someone laying on the ground, with a white spotlight on them.

Northern Territory Police arrested Jefferson Lewis at around 10:30pm Thursday night for the alleged murder of Kumanjayi Little Baby.

“Our police officers were attacked at that time, as were the St John Ambulance crew that attended to assist,” he said.

“They were turned on by about 200 people, but they were able to get out of there and get Mr Lewis to hospital.”

Two police officers with a riot shield behind a police vehicle.

Two police officers with a riot shield behind a police vehicle outside Alice Springs Hospital. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

A video of the arrest, seen and verified by the ABC, shows Mr Lewis unresponsive and face down in the dirt as officers wearing gloves put handcuffs on him.

Alleged killer flown to Darwin amid ‘safety concerns’

Commissioner Dole said about 400 “angry people” were gathered outside Alice Springs Hospital trying to get inside and get to Mr Lewis.

Many were shouting that Mr Lewis needed to face “payback” and accusing the police of protecting him, saying that he should be killed for his alleged attack on Kumanjayi Little Baby.

“Payback” is a term for traditional punishment under Aboriginal lore in Central Australia.

A person being arrested by two police at night out the front of the Alice Springs Hospital.

The violence erupted after police announced they had arrested Jefferson Lewis in relation to the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. (ABC News: Elsie Lange)

Commissioner Dole said Mr Lewis has been transferred to Darwin due to “safety concerns”, being flown out of Central Australia at 3:30 this morning.

“Safety concerns for the hospital and medical staff, safety concerns for the police and lastly safety concerns for Mr Lewis himself,” he said.

“Our police swear an oath to serve and protect, we don’t get to choose who we protect, so the safety of Mr Lewis was important as well.”

Commissioner Dole said that while he recognised Alice Springs was a community in grief, the violence overnight was “not acceptable”

A man using a lighter to attempt to ignite dry grass under a police vehicle at night.

Attempts were made to set a police vehicle on fire during the incident outside Alice Springs Hospital. (ABC News: Xavier Martin/Matthew Garrick)

“It is not reflective of what we’ve seen of the community of Alice Springs in the past five days,” he said.

“This community has pulled together and it’s walked shoulder to shoulder in the search for Kumanjayi Little Baby.

“And the violent outpouring that we saw last night — the attacks on police and emergency services personnel, not only is it not acceptable, but it’s not reflective of what we’ve seen of the last five days.”

Authorities have banned takeaway alcohol in the town today, and tomorrow sales will be limited to between the hours of 11am and 2pm.

Tear gas used to disperse crowd

At the height of the unrest, the crowd started yelling at the officers before throwing rocks, bottles and other projectiles at the police and their vehicles.

Many people filmed on their phones when rocks, a bin and large sticks were thrown at a police barricade, before police threw tear gas and fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

A police officer wearing a bandana over his mouth and nose with a baseball cap on at a hospital ambulance ramp.

Police were seen using pepper spray and holding positions out the front of the Alice Springs Hospital. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)

People attempted to set an empty police car parked on Gap Road alight and smashed it with street signs and sticks.

Riot police pulled one person to the ground and used pepper spray to force the crowd backwards, away from the car.

A cameraman from Channel 10 was seen being sprayed in the face.

An older woman in the crowd told the ABC that Mr Lewis had to be punished for his alleged crimes.

“She was an innocent little baby, so vulnerable, yet they are protecting him,”

the woman said.

A Northern Territory police officer using pepper spray on a street at night.

The riot broke out hours after police arrested a man in relation to the death of five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby. (ABC News: Elsie Lange)

“Come on, let us have him.”

Another woman, who said she was related to Kumanjayi Little Baby, said she also believed the police were protecting Jefferson Lewis from traditional lore.

“I am angry … for what he [allegedly] did to my little baby cousin,” she said.

Harley Myers, an Arrernte man from Alice Springs, said people had gathered because they were hurt.

A man with a tshirt stands in front of a group of people.

Arrernte man Harley Myers says people had gathered outside the hospital because they are hurt. (ABC News: Xavier Martin.)

“The feeling is that [the police] are protecting this guy. They are shooting us with rubber bullets,” Mr Myers said.

“It’s like the system is not sticking up for us and letting us get our own traditional payback.”

“We’re united because it hurts all of us … because she was only five years old and it could happen to any of our kids.

“I don’t want that to happen to any of our kids at all.”

NT police are yet to release any details about arrests in connection with Thursday night’s violence, but said they would provide another update today on Mr Lewis’s arrest.