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‘He’s shot Rachel – I believe she’s dead’: Court hears terrifying gun battle that cost six lives

A coroner examining the fatal shooting of six people has released videos showing a police officer taking cover and returning fire during an ambush.

Jul 31, 2024, updated Jul 31, 2024
The families of Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow are seen arriving at the Brisbane Coroners Court in Brisbane, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were two police officers who were killed at a Wieambilla property in 2022. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

The families of Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow are seen arriving at the Brisbane Coroners Court in Brisbane, Wednesday, July 31, 2024. Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold were two police officers who were killed at a Wieambilla property in 2022. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING

 

Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were shot dead in cold blood as they walked with another two officers up a remote property’s driveway at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, on December 12, 2022.

Coroner Terry Ryan has released two videos from Constable Randall Kirk’s body-worn camera showing him taking cover after two concealed shooters open fire.

Const Kirk hides behind a tree and phones Acting Sergeant Justin Dryer at the Chinchilla Police station, 41km north of Wieambilla.

“He’s shot Rachel, I believe. She’s dead … there’s two of them. They’ve got Matthew’s gun now,” Const Kirk says to Sgt Dryer in the video.

Const Kirk reports the two shooters are walking towards him with rifles after he fired a shot at them from his police-issue Glock handgun.

“Can you, like, obviously scramble from tree to tree to try and retreat out of there?” Sgt Dryer says.

Const Kirk says “I’ll try” before sprinting for his police vehicle, jumping over a locked gate with Glock in hand.

Multiple bullets strike the vehicle’s body and windscreen as Const Kirk gets behind the wheel, spraying the interior with glass fragments and causing him to yell in terror as he drives away.

The fourth officer in the group, Constable Keely Brough, was able to reach nearby grass where she hid from the shooters for two hours until backup arrived.

Const Kirk, who was shot in the abdomen and hip, gave evidence at the Brisbane inquest on Tuesday at Brisbane Coroners Court.

Mr Ryan was shown evidence that Nathaniel Train sat in a concealed position and watched the officers approach through the scope of his rifle before fatally shooting Const Arnold.

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Evidence was also presented that Nathaniel Train’s brother, Gareth Train, walked up to a prone and wounded Const McCrow and fatally shot her in the head.

The officers had been at the property at 4.30pm to serve an arrest warrant on Nathaniel Train after he illegally crossed the NSW border with a cache of firearms during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Nathaniel Train had also been reported missing after moving in with Gareth Train and his wife Stacey Train at their bushland-surrounded house.

All three Trains were shot dead by specialist police six hours after the two constables were killed.

They had refused to negotiate, and opened fire on police helicopters and an armoured vehicle.

Mr Ryan also released dozens of police crime scene photos of the driveway, and a sniper’s position hidden by branches and leaves that faced the front gate.

The photos showed equipment found at the property including the dead officers’ Glocks, a military ghillie suit designed to conceal a sniper, a bow and arrows, army backpacks, a bullet bandolier belt, and cardboard shooting targets with crude smiley faces drawn on.

Neighbour Alan Dare, 58, whose wife Kerry gave evidence on Wednesday, was shot dead minutes after he arrived at the Trains’ property following the ambush.

Mr Dare went to the property when he saw smoke and feared it was a bushfire but did not realise the flames were coming from a police vehicle set alight by the Trains.

A video by Mr Dare on his mobile phone captured his last minutes as he approached the fire and was shot through the chest by one of the Trains.

Mr Ryan previously heard there was insufficient evidence to positively identify Mr Dare’s killer as the fatal bullet was never recovered.

The coroner also heard Kerry Dare was told by a triple-zero operator not to attend the Trains’ property, but there was no evidence Mr Dare received that warning.

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