One officer was so afraid he was set to ring his wife on the mainland to say a final goodbye.

Locals angered at the results of an autopsy on an Aboriginal man who died in custody on the island had stockpiled rocks and petrol bombs, according to police.

They also cut the water supply to the island's main settlement and blocked roads.

One officer in the police station when it was firebombed told The Sunday Mail: "They (the rioters) had intent to kill."

Another policeman said: "They were saying they would kill us."

Police Commissioner Bob Atkinson yesterday confirmed Friday's attack was premeditated and said his 20 officers had "grave, justifiable" fears for their lives.

"It was planned. We believe water was turned off so there was an inability to fight the fire," he said in Townsville.

Police told The Sunday Mail they ran for their lives as the station burned, seeking refuge in a nearby barracks.

They frantically piled furniture against the doors of the building to hold back the mob.

Cornered and outnumbered, police were forced into desperate negotiations with community leaders to secure their safety.

Talks between police and Palm Island Council chairwoman Erykah Kyle and other councillors resulted in the officers being given an hour to leave the island.

Instead, police used the temporary peace to flee from the barracks to the nearby hospital until reinforcements arrived.

One officer told The Sunday Mail if it wasn't for the deal, he was sure he would be dead.

An offer of a ride to the airport from locals was rejected, with some police convinced it was a ploy to ambush and kill them.

The barracks were ransacked. Video equipment, CDs and other personal items were stolen.

The officer-in-charge's nearby home was set alight and looted.

Personal effects were stolen including a collection of cricket and football memorabilia that took years to assemble. A four-wheel-drive underneath the house was torched.

Almost 80 police, including heavily armed members of the elite Specialist Emergency Response Team, remained on the island yesterday.

An uneasy calm was restored as the island went into lock-down mode.

Many residents were also evacuated.

In other developments:

• Peace talks between police and community leaders were cancelled because the situation was judged too volatile.

• It was discovered that a high-powered rifle had been stolen from the station during the riot.

• Police Minister Judy Spence voiced fears that further guns and sly grog were hidden on the island and could fuel violence in coming days.

• Police arrested nine men aged 26-54 who were suspected of playing key roles in Friday's violence. Charges included rioting, serious assault and arson. They were taken to Townsville and will appear in court tomorrow.

• The police union called for attempted murder charges to be laid against arsonists who torched the police station.

"Very experienced officers on the island said they had never experienced anything like it," police spokesman Leon Beddington said.

Mr Atkinson said the officers were "genuinely" in fear for their lives.

"Officers were in the station when it was set alight and grave fears were held by those officers, justifiable fears, for their safety," he said.

"There were roadblocks across the road to the airport, including a stolen council truck, to stop vehicles, which is a great concern.

"We just can't have a situation where there are riots and mob rule, where people burn down police stations and buildings."

Tensions erupted on Friday when the findings of an autopsy on local man Cameron Doomadgee, 36 were made public.

Mr Doomadgee died at Palm Island watchhouse the previous Friday after being picked up by police for causing a public nuisance.

The post-mortem examination found he had suffered four broken ribs and died from a ruptured liver and spleen.

Police say Mr Doomadgee was injured when he fell on concrete stairs during a scuffle with officers when he was being taken from a van.

But islander Roy Branwell, who was in an adjoining cell to Mr Doomadgee, says he saw police assault him, sit on his chest and punch him.

Police on Wednesday handed over to the Crime and Misconduct Commission an investigation into the death.

Palm Island councillor Rosina Norman said many people on the island believed Mr Doomadgee had been murdered.

"No one has a good relationship with the police here – no one," Ms Norman said.

Locals told The Sunday Mail the riot was a spontaneous event that spiralled out of control.

"Everyone just wanted to prove a point," one islander said. "There is too much anger on the island."

The Queensland Police Union said arsonists who started the fire at the police station and adjoining buildings including the courthouse should be charged with attempted murder.

"In the normal course of events, if a place was set on fire with human occupants in the building the investigation would be in regard to attempted murder," vice-president Denis Fitzpatrick said.

Mr Fitzpatrick said the officers under siege were "exceptionally fearful" for their safety.

"It was a life-endangering situation at the time of the firebombing," he said.

"Those police were lucky to escape with their lives."

The island remained tense yesterday, with a state of emergency still in place.