Cop sent farewell texts to loved ones during shootout
One of the police officers that survived the shootout which killed two of her colleagues has shared her final texts she sent to loved ones in the event she didn’t make it.
Constable Rachel McCrow, 29, and Constable Matthew Arnold, 26, were fatally shot at a property in Wieambilla, three hours outside of Brisbane as they carried out a missing persons call.
Constable Keeley Brough and Constable Randall Kirk, both aged 28, were also at the property with Constable Kirk suffering a gunshot wound.
Nathaniel and Gareth Train were identified as the two brothers who killed the officers, with Stacey Train identified as the third shooter.
Constable Brough thought these would be her final moments and that she would either be shot at or burned alive. So she sent farewell texts to her loved ones.
"Constable Brough grabbed her phone to seek assistance for her colleagues," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told Parliament House.
"And then, she texted her loved ones, what she imagined would be her final goodbyes.
"Even then, surrounded by danger and death, her first thought was for her fellow officers."
Mr Albanese said it was a “miracle” that Constable Brough survived the terrifying ordeal.
"[Constable Brough] did not know whether she was going to be shot, or she was going to burnt alive," Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers told the ABC on Tuesday.
"'I do know she was sending messages to loved ones saying she almost thought it was her time. What was going through her mind, one cannot comprehend.
"She was in contact with her other colleagues trying to assure them we could get support to go and assist their fallen colleagues at that point in time."
Constable McCrow and Constable Arnold will be farewelled at a funeral service at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre at 10am on December 21.
Details on how the public can offer their condolences will be available in the next few days.
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