The coroner investigating the shooting deaths of six people at a rural Queensland property is due to hear how three cop killers “barricaded” their home against a raid by specialist police.
Constables Matthew Arnold and Rachel McCrow were shot dead at Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, on December 12, 2022 after attempting with two other officers to serve an arrest warrant for Nathaniel Train.
Train and his brother Gareth concealed themselves in their bushland block and opened fire on the officers with high-powered rifles without warning.
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Detective Senior Sergeant Nathan McCormack is due to appear before Brisbane Coroners Court on Tuesday to give evidence as part of the five-week inquest into the shootings.
McCormack was the lead investigator into the deaths of Gareth Train, his wife Stacey and brother after they barricaded themselves in their home surrounded by 100 acres of bushland following the deaths of the two constables and neighbour Alan Dare.
Coroner Terry Ryan is due to hear how the Trains placed barricades over the road into their home along with mirrors and multiple fires that were designed to blind vehicles approaching at night.
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McCormack is also due to answer questions about hardwood logs placed around the property to shield the Trains from bullets and their prior efforts to hone their shooting skills by firing at cardboard targets.
Six hours after the officers were killed, all three Trains were fatally shot by police SERT (Special Emergency Response Team) members.
Senior Sergeant Kirsty Gleeson is due to testify about the ballistic evidence recovered from the scene and how the Trains acquired their firearms and ammunition.
Acting Senior Sergeant Cameron Bourke is also due to give evidence about how police helicopters were used in conjunction with the SERT team when raiding the property.
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