‘Officer down’: Cops’ horror radio call

A police officer has tearfully recalled the harrowing moment he learnt two of his colleagues had been killed by crazed religious extremists during an ambush at a rural property.

Queensland Police Constable Matthew Owen was one of the officers who responded to reports of the horrific shooting at Wieambilla that claimed the lives of police officers Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold and neighbour Alan Dare two years ago.

Constable Owen became emotional early in his evidence as bodycam of his movement prior to the shooting was played to Brisbane Coroners Court on Thursday.

In the footage, Constable Owen is heard responding to the job from the neighbouring town of Dalby.

The words “urgent, urgent, shots fired” and “officer down, repeat officer down” can be heard in the background as Constable Owen drives off.

The five-week inquest into the massacre at Wieambilla is examining the deaths of Queensland Police constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold, Wains Rd neighbour Alan Dare and the three members of the Train family – Nathaniel, his brother Gareth and Gareth’s wife Stacey – on December 12, 2022.

Constables McCrow, 29, and Arnold, 26, were murdered after jumping the fence of the Trains’ Wains Rd property in Wieambilla.

Two other constables – Keely Brough and Randall Kirk – survived.

Mr Dare, 58, was murdered investigating fires lit by the Trains.

All three members of the Train family were killed by highly trained special emergency response team officers during a lengthy shootout later that night.

The attending police were conducting a welfare check on Nathaniel, a former NSW school principal who had been reported missing months prior, but were instead ambushed.

The Trains followed an extremist Christian ideology known as premillennialism, believing Jesus Christ would return to earth after a period of extreme suffering.

In Constable Owen’s bodycam, officers are heard saying over the radio: “I have an officer down, repeat officer down” in reference to the shooting of constables McCrow and Arnold.

Others are advised to proceed code 1 – with lights and sirens – along with the words “urgent, urgent, shots fired”.

The court was told Constable Owen was tasked from Dalby – about an hour and 15 minutes away – but ran into issues with black spots along the highway that left him without any radio reception.

He told the court there were moments his QLiTE device also dropped out as a result.

Constable Owen said he did not know anyone from the Train family or had dealt with them at the address until the day of the incident.

Upon arriving near the Wains Rd property he explained he went to a pre-planned meeting point near an intersection.

“I knew police officers had been shot, there was one unaccounted for … (and) there were multiple shooters with rifles,” Constable Owen said.

“There was also mention of a fire as well.”

In more bodycam footage played to the court, police are heard discussing the officers unaccounted for were Constables Arnold and McCrow and “one of Chinchilla’s”.

“He’s in a car, don’t know where the f**k he is … I’ve been told not to go in,” an officer is says.

The exchange was referring to Constable Kirk fleeing gunfire from the Trains, suffering an injury during his escape.

His escape was captured on his own bodycam, played to the court earlier in the week.

‘Do not enter’

The court also heard evidence from Constable Craig Loveland, who said other properties in the area had signs warning “do not enter” or urging people to keep out.

The Trains’ Wains Rd property had such warnings on the front gate.

Constable Loveland said one such property specifically warned people not to enter or they would be shot.

Others contained “booby traps”, including pits with spikes around properties that were designed to injure people entering, he said.

Constable Loveland said he took multiple jobs on the day of the Wieambilla massacre, including a code 2 job for an attempted suicide and a domestic violence incident.

He was not present at Wieambilla when constables McCrow and Arnold were shot dead.

The court was told Constable Loveland had trouble finding the precise location of the meeting point and also had issues with starting the police car due to a battery issue.

He gave evidence he had to fix the problem, which had persisted for “months”, himself at Tara Police Station.

Constable Owen said he took out body armour due to the advice about shots being fired.

Ruth O’Gorman KC, counsel assisting the coroner, asked him: “Did you … have a rifle in the vehicle you were travelling in?”
“No,” he answered.

She continued: “If you had, would you have taken one out with you at that time?”

“Yes,” Constable Owen asked.

The court was told a decision was made to respond “immediately” rather than wait for additional officers to arrive on scene.

A decision was made for the officers to walk towards the property due to the police vehicles being “too big” of a target for the shooters.

Constable Owen said another discussion involved the extraction of Constable Brough as she hid in grassland from the Train family.

“I felt we were way too close and exposed,” Constable Owen said.

During his evidence Constable Owen explained no one knew the property particularly well and he had never been down the road.

“We had Glocks that may have been effective to 10-15m – they had rifles capable of shooting greater distances,” he explained.

The court was told officers instead used a driveway towards a neighbouring property to get closer to the Trains’ home.

Bodycam footage played to the court captured Victor Lewis – Mr Dare’s neighbour – approaching officers on his quad bike as they approached the Wains Rd property.

Mr Lewis is heard recounting Mr Dare’s shooting and a car burning on the property.

One officer tells Mr Lewis to get out of there.

The inquest continues.