Wieambilla massacre inquest hears final moments of cops Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold
New details on the heartbreaking last act of a young police officer brutally killed in an ambush have been aired at an inquest into their deaths. Warning: Graphic content.
The devastating final act of a heroic police officer as she lay dying following an ambush attack at a rural Queensland property has been revealed in court.
Constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, were murdered by members of the Train family – brothers Nathaniel and Gareth and his wife, Stacey – after they attended a welfare check at a Wains Rd property in December 2022.
The officers walked into an elaborately staged trap and they, along with two other officers, Constables Keely Brough and Randall Kirk, were met with gunfire and actual fire at the scene.
Alan Dare, 58, had lived at a nearby property and came to investigate after seeing smoke rise in the area.
He was murdered by one of the Trains moments after he arrived to see if he could help. It’s understood he was fatally shot in the back.
The court was told Ms McCrow recorded a “final message of love for her family” before her death as she lay in the dirt of the killer’s property.
Special Emergency Response Team officers shot all three members of the Train family following a lengthy siege.
Months after the massacre, Queensland Police confirmed the Trains had prescribed to an extremist Christian ideology known as “premillennialism” and had acted as an “autonomous cell” to carry out their “religiously motivated terrorist attack”.
Following the murders, investigators discovered diary entries from Stacey where she called police “demons”.
Gareth and Stacey also admitted to killing the police officers in a chilling YouTube video uploaded just hours after the shootings but before they were shot dead.
‘There’s one more’: cop hides from attackers
Constable Brough spent nearly two hours waiting to be rescued as the Train family tried to smoke her out.
The officer, who had only been on the job for less than nine weeks, had managed to seek shelter in bushland.
The inquest heard she was able to call 000 on her mobile phone at 4.34pm as she tried to remain hidden in the grass, which was about eight inches tall.
Ms O’Gorman said a male’s voice could be heard on Constable Arnold’s body worn camera saying ‘there’s one more somewhere’.
Constable Brough, who remained on the line with the 000 call operator, revealed her concern for her life.
“I think they know I’m here, I’m scared,” she said.
However, her information proved vital for the SERT crew as she was able to describe that the Train brothers were wearing camouflage and had rifles.
Ms O’Gorman said at times Constable Brough had to whisper “because they were so close by and she believed they about to find her”.
“She thought she was going to die.”
It was then Constable Brough realised the Train brothers planned to smoke her out by setting fires nearby.
“Initially, she reported flames as being 15m away from her, and as time passed she reported that they were 8m away, then 5m, 3m, 2m and 1m,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“She could feel the fire on her feet.
“Then the wind picked up and the fire was all around her.
“But she could not move because they were watching for her.”
The flames were reportedly 2m tall.
The inquest heard Constable Brough was able to run to freedom at the front gate when she knew the rescue team were in place about two hours after the initial shooting at about 6.34pm.
‘He’s coming’: chilling audio of ambush
Moments after the first shot fired, Constable Kirk tried calling for help using his police radio but was unsuccessful due to poor reception.
Ms O’Gorman said body worn footage captured audio of one of the Train brothers saying “that was a mistake boys” and “come out come out and get on the f**king ground or you die” after Constable Kirk fired his weapon in the direction of the original gunshots.
She said it had alerted the Trains to his location.
When Constable Kirk finally got reception using his personal mobile phone, he called his supervising officer, Justin Dryer, to tell him that “a man had a rifle and was coming over to them”.
During these critical minutes, Constable Kirk’s body worn camera recorded the entire interaction as he relayed key information to Sergeant Dryer, with his calm words detailing what he could see at about 4.46pm.
“He shot Rachel I believe,” Constable Kirk said.
“I think she’s dead. She shot him I think. He’s still walking.”
He then clarifies: “She shot at him.”
Constable Kirk continues to explain the harrowing events playing out in front of his eyes.
“They’ve got Matthew now. F**k sake,” he said.
“Matt’s not moving. Rachel’s not moving now. Keely, I haven’t seen. What do you want me to do?”
Sergeant Drier tells him to “Look after yourself, buddy.”
As he crouched in the short grass, Constable Kirk said he didn’t have much cover behind a tree to protect himself but he realised one of the brothers was approaching him.
“He’s coming over,” Constable Kirk can be heard saying: “Should I run?”
Sergeant Drier asks: “Do they know where you are?”
“Yes they do,” Constable Kirk replied.
He tells his supervising officer that he can “try” to run from tree to tree in an attempt to make it to safety at the police car, which was still at the front gate.
The footage shows him, gun in one hand and phone in the other, running to safety as he tells Sergeant Dryer “they’re coming - they’re shooting”.
Shots can be heard being fired as he reaches his car.
“I think I’ve been shot,“ Constable Kirk can be heard saying when he finally got inside the police car.
The chilling audio continues as he drives away, with Constable Kirk explaining that he can’t hear Sergeant Dryer on the phone because of the sound of gunshots.
“There’s two of them, I think I’ve been shot,” he said.
“I don’t know where.
“They’ve got shots on the window of the car.
“I had to drive away a bit... (I’ve) lost a shoe.
“I’ve got blood on my face, I don’t know where i’ve been shot.”
The inquest heard Constable Kirk had been shot in the hip as he tried to run to safety through the “dearth of cover between him and the shooters”.
Ms O’Gorman said was “outmatched” with only a pistol against the rifles used by the Trains.
Constables Arnold and McCrow’s final moments revealed
Footage from Constable Kirk’s body worn camera was played before the court during the opening address, showing the four officers jumping the fence at the Train property.
As the four officers walked down the dirt driveway towards the house, Constable Kirk can be heard telling his colleagues “there’s an arrest warrant for this fella”.
Ms O’Gorman said less than two minutes after the officers entered the property, at 4.37pm, “a shot rang out” and Constable Arnold was struck in the chest and died.
He was only 120m from the front gate where the officers had come from.
Ms O’Gorman said before the first shot, none of the officers had any warning they were walking into an ambush.
The inquest heard Constable McCrow dropped to “her hands and knees” on the ground and made her way to the left of the driveway in an attempt to take cover.
While she attempted to call for urgent assistance using her police radio, Constable McCrow was shot in the back.
Ms O’Gorman said while Constable McCrow again attempted to call for help at 4.38pm, she was shot in the lower right leg and upper left leg.
“Unable to call out on her radio, Constable McCrow recorded the harrowing events that she had then lived through in what is known as a sitrep, or a situational report,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“She also recorded a message of love for her family.”
She reported in her sitrep at about 4.40pm that she had been shot at three times.
Ms O’Gorman said at 4.48pm, Constable McCrow reported that a shooter “was coming towards her”.
“She discharged her (police) issued glock, firing off 15 shots,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“She pleaded with a male who approached her.
“After a brief verbal exchange, she was killed at close range.”
Ms O’Gorman said Constable McCrow showed “great courage and honour” during her final moments before she was murdered.
“It was about seven minutes from the time of the shot that killed Constable Arnold to the time of Constable McCrow’s death,” she said.
“In that time she was injured by gunshot wounds, her shooters unknown to her.
“Despite being ambushed, in pain and no doubt terrified, Constable McCrow showed great courage and honour.
“She had the presence of mind to record important details on her body worn camera and she had the strength and grace to record a message for her family.”
Cops killed within minutes
Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold had only started their shift about 30 minutes before they’d been killed.
Counsel assisting the coroner, Ruth O’Gorman, told the inquest on Monday the four officers had met at the Wains Rd property about 4.35pm while responding to a “routine missing persons job”.
During her opening address, Ms O’Gorman said the four officers entered the property and “chatted together” as they approached the home.
“Less than two minutes after entering the property, and without warning, a shot rang out and Matthew Arnold was fatally struck,” Ms O’Gorman said.
“Rachel McCrow was also shot at that time and moments later was fatally wounded”.
The court was told Constable Arnold died from a gunshot wound to the torso at 4.37pm and Constable McCrow died from a gunshot wound to the head at 4.46pm.
Ms O’Gorman said both officers “died in the line of duty” and in their service to their community.
Mr Dare had attended the property about 5.30pm in response to the smoke he spotted coming and was also “killed without warning”.
Ms O’Gorman said he died from a gunshot wound to the torso “while looking out for his community”.
The QPS Special Response Team arrived at the property about 7.40pm.
“The Trains were involved in a protracted shootout with SERT operatives which ultimately led to their deaths,” Ms O’Gorman said.
The inquest was told Gareth died from a gunshot wound to the head at 10.32pm, Stacey died from a gunshot wound to the head at 10.36pm and Nathaniel died at about 10.39pm from a gunshot wound to the torso and the head.
Ms O’Gorman said the deaths of all three Train family members are considered deaths in custody as their deaths occurred while officers were trying to arrest them.
She explained this is the reason why their deaths must be examined by a coronial inquest.
Ms O’Gorman also acknowledged the families of those who died at Wieambilla in her opening address.
“We know too that there are many more people, family members, loved ones and friends who are not here, but who have nonetheless been and will continue to deeply stand and distressed by all these deaths,” she said.
“We wish to make police officers go to work each day to protect and to serve our community.
“Our community is indebted to that protection and that service.
“Every police officer deserves to go home safely at the end of each shift.
“Every family of every police officer deserves for that to happen.
“A police officers’ job is sometimes dangerous and, although rarely, a police officer doesn’t make it home.”
Coronial inquest begins
Before the official proceedings of coronial inquest began on Monday, Queensland coroner Terry Ryan shared his sincere condolences to the “family, friends and colleagues” of everyone who died at Wieambilla on December 12, 2022.
Mr Ryan said he knew “the grief of those who lost loved ones on that day is ongoing”.
Mr Ryan then explained the purpose of the inquest, noting it was not his role to appoint any “blame” for the events on the property.
“The purpose of the inquest is to inform the families of those who died and the broader community about the circumstances of the deaths, including what occurred, how it happened, and whether the deaths could have been prevented,” Mr Ryan said.
“The inquest is examining the events that occurred with the benefit of hindsight, and it is not to function on the coroner who apportioned blame to find that any of those involved are criminally or civilly liable.”
The inquest comes after the Queensland Police Service ethical standards command carried out a comprehensive investigation of the incident.
In a joint statement made outside the Coroners Court in Brisbane on Monday, the McCrow and Arnold families said there was “no escaping our devastating loss … the all-consuming grief … and the tears”.
“Our ‘collective heart’ remains broken – beyond repair.”
The families said the events of December 12 should “never have happened”, and that no officer should die “under such horrible, brutal circumstances”.
The families have never spoken directly to media before, but said they felt it was important to ensure their loved ones had not died in vain.
“While the terrible void in our lives will never be filled, we hope any reforms put forward by the coroner will prevent a tragedy like this happening again, and (prevent) other families experiencing our heartbreak,” they said.
Both families called on Queensland Police to implement any recommendations made by the court “immediately”, and for a national weapons and ammunition register to be established.
“Every police officer – now and into the future – must be protected,” they said,
“We want everyone to remember Rachel and Matthew … and their ultimate sacrifice.”
More to come
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