Wieambilla inquest: Full list of issues to be examined over murders of police officers, civilian
An inquest into the shooting deaths of six people, including two police officers and an innocent civilian, will seek to examine dozens of issues and identify ways to prevent a similar tragedy occurring in the future.
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An inquest into the Wieambilla shootings will seek to examine dozens of issues and identify ways to prevent a similar tragedy occurring again.
The inquest will probe how two police officers, an innocent civilian and their three killers died.
Nathaniel, Gareth and Stacey Train were shot dead by police after they murdered Queensland Police Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow, and civilian Alan Dare in an ambush at a Wains Road, Wieambilla property outside Chinchilla on December 12.
The officers had gone to the home to try to find Gareth Train.
At a pre-inquest hearing in the Brisbane Coroners Court on Thursday, Counsel assisting the coroner Ruth O’Gorman said issues expected to be examined included:
■ The circumstances which led to the decision that Queensland Police officers attend the Wieambilla property on December 12, 2022, including the circumstances surrounding Nathaniel Train’s entry into Queensland.
■ Why Nathaniel Train came to Queensland, at what point he met up with Gareth and Stacey Train.
■ The subsequent police investigation into Nathaniel Train’s Tallwood offences including Queensland Police attendance at the property in August 2022, the issuing of an arrest warrant for the Tallwood offences and the suspension of Nathaniel Train’s weapons licence in August 2022.
■ The circumstances surrounding the issuing and broadcasting of a missing-person report in relation to Nathaniel Train by New South Wales police in November and December 2022.
■ The information received by New South Wales police and communication between New South Wales police and the Queensland Police Service on and around December 12, 2022.
■ What did New South Wales police know about Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train at that time?
■ What did they communicate to the Queensland Police Service?
■ Other information known to the Queensland Police Service about the occupants of the property on or before December 12, 2022.
■ The arrangements at the Chinchilla and Tara police stations on December 12, 2022, which resulted in the decision that the four officers would attend the Wieambilla property.
■ Why is it that all four police officers attended that day?
■ Consideration of the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of constables Arnold and McCrow.
■ The events that took place from when the four police officers arrived at the property to the time of their deaths.
■ What happened from the time they jumped the fence and when shots were fired at them.
■ Whether it is possible to know who fired the shots that caused their deaths?
■ What guns and ammunition were used? Had they been lawfully obtained?
■ Consideration of the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting of Mr Allan Dare.
■ What was it that prompted Mr Dare to attend the property?
■ What did he know of what had transpired before he arrived?
■ What were the events that led to his death?
■ Consideration of the circumstances of the calls for help made by Constables Randall Kirk and Kelley Brough and the extraction of Constable Brough and the bodies of Constables McCrow and Arnold and the decisions that were made concerning Mr Dare’s body.
■ Were the Queensland Police Service communications systems sufficient on that day?
■ Were the four officers sufficiently armed and trained to respond to the incident?
■ Consideration of the circumstances leading up to the shootings of Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train by Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) officers, including whether action of responding police officers were appropriate in the circumstances.
■ What decisions were made about how SERT would respond to Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train?
■ Consideration of the profiles and the motivations of Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train?
■ Why was it that each Gareth, Stacey and Nathaniel Train fired shots at police on that day?
■ How did they get to that point?
■ What or who motivated or influenced them?
■ Were there any red flags known to the authorities or that should have been known to the authorities prior to December 12, 2022?
■ Consideration of further actions, if any, which could be taken to prevent a similar incident from occurring again in Queensland, including examining the adequacy of current firearm and ammunition regulations.
■ The coverage of Queensland Police Service communication systems in rural Queensland.
■ The availability of technology for Queensland Police officers serving in rural locations.
■ The availability of and procedures governing the use of bullet proof vests for Queensland Police officers serving in rural locations.
■ The availability, procedures and training concerning the use of rifles for Queensland Police officers serving in rural locations.
■ The appropriateness and adequacy of current QPS policies and procedures concerning the notifications of an unfolding crisis that might affect public health and safety.
■ Liaising with the families of people involved in critical incidents as they unfold and in the immediate aftermath.
■ Were local community members appropriately informed about the unfolding crisis so as to ensure their safety?
■ Were the families of the people involved appropriately informed in a timely way?
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