Australian police have shared details of the "despicable, disgraceful act" of three gunmen who killed two police officers and a bystander in cold blood last week.
Constables Rachel McCrow, 29, and Matthew Arnold, 26, were fatally shot at a rural property three hours west of Brisbane, the capital of the Australian state of Queensland on Monday (December 12).
The officers had been conducting a welfare check on a missing principal from New South Wales - Nathaniel Train. It was then that the officers were set upon by Nathaniel, his brother Gareth, and Gareth's wife Stacey.
The Daily Mail reported that the offenders stood over the injured officers, who lay on the ground bleeding following the attack, and shot them again at close range. Constable McCrow was heard to have been pleading for her life before she was shot.
Two of McCrow's and Arnold's colleagues - 28-year-old Constables Keeley Brough and Randall Kirk - attempted to retrieve the bodies, however, were set upon by the murderous trio. Brough was even trapped in burning bushland as the suspects attempted to smoke her out.
A neighbor - 56-year-old Alan Dare - noticed the smoke and attempted to intervene, but was allegedly shot in the back, which ended up being fatal according to the outlet.
Following the second violent incident, News.com.au detailed that 16 special forces were also shot as they attempted to retrieve McCrow's and Arnold's bodies, as well as rescue Brough.
Ian Levers, President of the Queensland Police Union, has since released a statement about the horrifying ordeal, stating: "What I do know, is that after [the incident], as the 16 went to retrieve Matt and Rachel, that they were fired at continuously. They put their lives on the line to try to retrieve their colleagues in the hope they would be able to render first aid and save their lives but sadly that didn't happen."
"It just brings a tear to the eye … it was a despicable act by this murdering, evil trio of people who were out here to cause harm," he added. He also maintained that McCrow and Arnold were murdered in "cold blood," and also hailed the other officers and Dare as "heroes" for their bravery.
"Keely and Randall are heroes, and the police led by one of the local sergeants who led the team in to retrieve Matt and Rachel while under gun fire, they're heroes. They've really stepped up, they haven't thought about their safety, they just thought about their colleagues," Levers continued.
He also spoke out about the outpouring of support for the slain officers and neighbor, saying: "Seeing little kids and elderly people pay tribute shows how much they actually respect police and what they do. Often it's only in tragedies like this that you see the silent majority come out and show respect for police."
"That murdering trio won't be able to murder again and that is important to us," he declared.
