The grieving widow of a man shot dead during the Wieambilla ambush, has hit out at police about their treatment of his body on what would have been the couple's 26th wedding anniversary.
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Alan Dare was among six people killed, including two police officers, in an ambush at the remote Queensland property on Monday.
Mr Dare's heartbroken wife Kerry Dare spoke to A Current Affair this week, and said it was her husband's act of kindness that led to him being killed.
She revealed when he heard gunshots and explosions and then saw fire at a neighbouring property, that he'd rushed to the scene.
"After the gunshots, there was a lot of black smoke and explosions and we presumed that there was a house on fire and that it was close," Mrs Dare told ACA.
He met up with another neighbour and they headed towards the noise and smoke, it was the last time she would see her husband alive.
When she called triple-0 she was told there had been an "incident", and the operator told her not to let her husband go next door. It was already too late.
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Mrs Dare said she wasn't aware of how deadly the incident was until her neighbour returned.
"The neighbour came back and gave me Al's phone and said, 'Al's in a bad way' and he left," she said.
"I thought maybe (a) broken leg, broken hip ... even a broken back. I mean, I just didn't think death."
Left dying on the road
During the interview Mrs Dare slammed the lack of police assistance towards her husband during the shooting.
"He chose to go and help someone and you're letting him die on the road," she told ACA.
Mrs Dare went to the road block and "screamed at people with guns" to get news about her husband.
"I walked to people with guns held to their chest and big vests on and asked ... what they were doing to get Al out and they just looked at me blankly and kept walking," she said.
I walked to people with guns held to their chest and big vests on and asked ... what they were doing to get Al out and they just looked at me blankly and kept walking.
- Kerry Dare
"That's all I wanted to know, where he was and when he was covered. It was getting dark, it was going to rain, it was storming.
"They knew he was there and they left him there for 13 hours. If he was shot at five o'clock, they left him there, I didn't see (him) until six o'clock (the) next morning."
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said the Ethical Standards Command is leading a major investigation into the incident.
"This is a complex and thorough coronial investigation overviewed by the Crime and Corruption Commission and will be reported to the state coroner," she said.
"Family liaison officers have been appointed and are working closely with families involved in this tragedy.
"While the matter is currently being investigated, and respecting the sensitivities of the families involve, it would be inappropriate for the QPS to provide further comment at this time."
Nadine Morton
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Nadine Morton covers emergency services and breaking news for the Illawarra Mercury. She takes pride in regional journalism which she believes is crucial to informing our towns and cities. Have a story? Email her at nadine.morton@austcommunitymedia.com.au
