Wieambilla inquest: Sickening moment doomsday cult gunman stands over female policewoman he shot dead – as bodycam shows moment officer came face-to-face with death
Never-before-seen footage of a police officer who was attacked during a welfare check at a rural Queensland home shows the harrowing moments he came face to face with death.
Officers Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, were shot as they visited the Wieambilla property of Gareth Train and his wife Stacey.
The pair arrived at the property in December 2022, along with officers Keely Brought and Randall Kirk, to conduct a welfare check for Gareth’s brother, Nathaniel Train, for whom a warrant had also been issued.
But what should have been a simple job quickly turned into a deadly situation when a shot rang out.
Officer Randall Kirk’s bodycam footage, released on the second day of the inquest, showed the four officers jumping the fence at the Train property around 4:35 p.m. to walk to the house.
Less than two minutes after officers entered the compound, a shot rang out and Officer Arnold was killed approximately 120 yards from the main entrance.
He was shot in the chest and lay motionless on the ground as his colleagues took cover.
The investigation revealed that Nathaniel had fired the fatal bullet.
Gareth Train is seen on Rachel McCrow’s bodycam during the ambush
Officers Rachel McCrow, 29 (pictured), and Matthew Arnold, 26, were killed after they visited the Wieambilla property of Gareth Train and his wife, Stacey, while conducting a welfare check for Gareth’s brother, Nathaniel Train, in December 2022.
Officer Arnold (pictured) was just 120 yards from the main gate where officers were coming from when he was shot in the chest and died
Approximately seven minutes later, Officer McCrow was fatally shot by Gareth, who shot her at close range with his rifle.
The trains had started fires in an attempt to smoke out Officer Brough, who had managed to hide in the bushes just yards from where her colleagues had been murdered.
Officer Kirk also managed to hide behind a tree before beginning the terrifying sprint back to his police car.
His camera was rolling the whole time.
How a police officer tried to stay alive
The audio recordings show him talking to his commanding officer, Sergeant Justin Dryer, as the horrific scene unfolded.
Officer Kirk fired one shot after Officer McCrow fired her weapon. She fired 15 times before she was killed.
During the investigation, audio was captured on another officer’s bodycam of one of the Train brothers saying, “That was a mistake, boys,” and “Come out, come out and get on the fucking ground or you die.”
Agent Kirk knew he couldn’t stay where he was, because his shot had alerted the trains to his location.
He told Sergeant Dryer that “a man with a gun came toward them.”
Officer Randall Kirk is seen brandishing his weapon as he flees the area
Gareth Train’s rifle was found next to his body after he was fatally shot by SERT officers.
“I believe he shot Rachel,” Officer Kirk said at 4:46 p.m.
“I think she’s dead. She shot him, I think. He’s still walking.”
He then clarifies: “She shot him.”
‘Run’: Officer Runs to Freedom
Agent Kirk continues to recount the horrific events unfolding before his eyes.
“They got Matthew now. F**k sake,” he said.
“Matt isn’t moving. Rachel isn’t moving right now. Keely, I didn’t see it. What do you want me to do?”
While still on the phone, Officer Kirk says, “He’s coming.”
“Should I run?” he asks.
Sergeant Drier asks: ‘Do they know where you are?’
“Yes, sir,” Officer Kirk replied.
Officer Kirk then daringly runs to his car, gun in one hand and phone in the other.
Aerial view of the Wieambilla estate where the ambush took place. Photo: 9 News.
As he runs, he says to Sergeant Dryer, “They’re coming—they’re shooting.”
As he takes cover, several shots can be heard in the background.
Eventually he reaches the safety of his car, but soon realizes he has been shot.
“I think I’ve been shot,” Officer Kirk is heard saying as he finally gets into the squad car.
The terrifying sound continues to be heard as he drives away.
“There’s two, I think I got shot,” he said.
‘I don’t know where. They shot at the window of the car.
‘I had to drive a bit… (I lost) a shoe.
“I have blood on my face, I don’t know where I was shot.”
Footage shows the car being hit with gunfire as it drives away from the scene.
The neighbor’s good death turned into a fatal mistake
Neighbor Alan Dare saw plumes of black smoke rising from the train yard.
After his wife called 911, he decided to go and see if the fire was out himself, as the area was prone to forest fires.
He decided to film the event with his phone, not realizing that these were his last moments.
The footage shows Mr Dare arriving at the scene where, without his knowledge, a police car has been set on fire.
He tells another neighbor, Victor Lewis, who is also at the scene, not to get “too close” because the fire is “still raging.”
“What on earth is in there?” you hear Mr. Dare say.
“I’m staying away from Vic.”
A little later he sees a car ‘driving away’.
“There’s a car coming,” he says to Mr. Lewis.
‘There’s a car there, and there’s someone standing in front of the door.
“Wow, someone just got out of the car, Vic.
‘Someone just got out of the other car and walked away.’
A second later, Mr. Dare is shot in the chest and dies.
The investigation revealed that Mr. Lewis quickly left the scene to get help for his friend.
Investigators were unable to determine who fired the fatal shot that killed Mr. Dare.