In Part Three of our In Remembrance of Brett Forte series, Cath Nielsen takes us inside the coronial inquest and the fight for truth that followed Brett’s death.

Cath reveals what happens when you challenge the accepted narrative from inside the job — how asking questions can lead to isolation, retaliation, and personal attacks. She outlines the missed intelligence, cultural issues, and leadership failures exposed through the inquest, and the heavy personal toll of speaking up.

We also look at what real accountability means in policing, the key reforms that were introduced after the findings, and why owning mistakes is essential if future lives are to be protected.

This episode is about truth over comfort, courage over silence, and the hard path to building a better police force.

In Part Two of our In Remembrance of Brett Forte series, Cath Nielsen takes us through the immediate aftermath of the ambush — the shock, the confusion, and the heavy days that followed Brett’s death.

Cath shares what it was like going home in the early hours still covered in Brett’s blood, breaking the news to her family, and feeling the weight of a community grieving beside her. She talks about the Tactical Crime Squad office becoming a safe place, the moment Brett’s mates broke down, and meeting the Fort family for the first time in the middle of heartbreak.

We also explore the emotional toll of Brett’s funeral, a later pursuit that triggered her trauma, and the unspoken impact on partners, families, and frontline officers. Cath reflects on CERT’s bravery, the support of the Blue Family, and why every cop must take ownership of their mental health.

This episode is about the humans behind the headlines — and the reality of surviving what no one prepares you for.

In this deeply personal and emotional first instalment of our In Remembrance of Brett Forte series, we sit down with Queensland police officer Cath Nielsen, the partner who sat beside Brett in the Tactical Crime Squad vehicle on 29 May 2017 — the day he was ambushed and killed.

For the first time on the podcast, Cath takes us inside the moments leading up to the shooting, the sudden explosion of automatic gunfire, and the desperate fight for survival as 27 rounds tore into their car. She opens up about the chaos, the fear, the slow-motion clarity, and the instinctive training that kicked in as she returned fire, tried to save Brett, and fought to stay alive.

But this episode isn’t just about the gunfight — it’s about the human cost. Cath talks us through the surreal hours that followed, the moment she learned Brett was gone, and what it’s like to carry survivor’s guilt, trauma, and intrusive memories long after the news crews moved on.

Her courage in reliving this day isn’t for shock value — it’s for every cop, every family, and every person who needs to understand the reality behind the uniform.

This is Cath’s story. This is Brett’s story. And this is Part One of our tribute to a man who dedicated his life to protecting others and paid the ultimate price.