The 40-year-old sparked a police chase after he shot and killed Senior Constable Brett Forte who had responded, along with other officers from the tactical crime squad in Toowoomba, when the wanted man had rung the centre and challenged them to find him.

Police tracked the wanted man for 40 kilometres to where Maddison opened fire and shot the father-of-three dead before fleeing to a stronghold on a property at which he had been staying for a number of weeks.

It was outside this shelter that police spent hours trying to reason with the armed man who had fired automatic weapons from the property several times recently, neighbours said.

Peter Hills said he heard gunfire as often as two or three times a week and police were called to the property several weeks ago after Maddison went "ballistic" one night.

Maddison's family, who released a statement on Thursday, said the repeat offender was not a "one-dimensional career criminal" and thanked police for trying to end the situation peacefully, despite Maddison shooting at them and a helicopter overhead during the ordeal.

While his family said they would never understand his actions, his criminal history points to a man who had issues of anger, violence and jealousy.

Maddison first appeared in court at Gatton in 1996, along with two others, charged with production and possession of a dangerous drug. No conviction was recorded.

In following two years, across Roma and Toowoomba, he faced charges relating to damage to property, behaving in an insulting way and obstructing police.

In 2005, the severity of Maddison's charges escalated when he was charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, convicted and fined $1000.

Two years later he was charged for attacking a man nearly a decade younger than himself at a Toowoomba nightclub.

In documents filed to court, the victim told police that he been shoved by Maddison, looked at him and then "the next thing he was being assisted down the steps of the nightclub after having been assaulted".

The young man suffered a tripod fracture to his right eye socket, a burst blood vessel in his right eye and nerve damage to the right side of his mouth.

Maddison was hit with a six-month suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay $10,000 in compensation.

In 2008, Maddison began an on-again, off-again controlling relationship with a 25-year-old woman he met when she was just 19-years-old.

In a signed statement filed to court during Maddison's 2008 bail bid on charges including torture and assault occasioning bodily harm, the woman told police she was concerned for her safety during their year-long relationship.

Maddison's first violent act was in March that year when he allegedly grabbed her in the shower and smashed her phone, claiming she was "flirting" with one of his friends.

She said at certain points in the months that followed he would call and send threatening text messages, telling her he was going to kill himself and kill her dad.

In September 2008, the woman said he begged her to "sort out" their relationship and asked her to come over to his home.

When she arrived, he got into her car and told her to drive towards the Toowoomba range where he threatened to drive her off the cliffs or into oncoming traffic.

Fearing for her life, she pulled off to the side of the road at which point Maddison punched the car's windscreen, shattering glass over the pair, before punching the car's roof.

He then spat on the woman and began punching her.

She managed to get away from Maddison, who had stolen her phone and began calling her family and friends, threatening them and demanding they tell him where she was.

Two days later on September 30, after the woman had fled to Mackay, she filed a complaint with police who searched his property and found bottles of animal steroids, including testosterone, hidden behind a mirror in his house.

On October 1 police charged Maddison with torture, deprivation of liberty, assault occasioning bodily harm, stealing, dangerous operation of a car and drug possession.

Police also charged him for breach of bail after he was found living outside of his court-approved address, his brother's house, following his Toowoomba nightclub attack

Police objected to bail on these charges, citing Maddison's associations with two men who were on bail for drug and stalking related charges.

Police also indicated they were investigating claims Maddison had contacted the nightclub victim and offered him $20,000 to withdraw his complaint.

Maddison was remanded in custody but just 27 days later he was granted bail on the condition he again live at his brother's home, adhere to a curfew, make no contact with his former girlfriend and complete an anger management course.

In 2009, all the 2008 charges, aside from drug possession, were discontinued after no evidence was provided, according to 7 News.

In 2015, he was again charged with deprivation of liberty and torture, however that case was also discontinued after no evidence was offered.

Maddison was not on bail or parole when he shot and killed by police while trying to flee into bushland on Tuesday.

A funeral service has been arranged for family, friends and colleagues of Senior Constable Brett Forte for Wednesday June 7 at the University of Southern Queensland at 20 Baker Street, Toowoomba.

A remembrance fund has been established for those wishing to make a donation for the benefit of Senior Constable Forte's family.

More information about the fund can be found online.