Police have shot a 48-year-old rifle-wielding man dead in Queensland while responding to a domestic violence incident.
The shooting unfolded in the suburb of Narangba, 30km north of Brisbane, in the early hours of Sunday.
Police say the man had a rifle.
Acting Chief Superintendent Kerry Johnson told reporters the man was known to police.
The man confronted police after an interaction with a family member, Mr Johnson said.
He kept advancing despite verbal commands and a tactical withdrawal by police, Mr Johnson said, with multiple shots then fired.
“Unfortunately, these are the things that happen in policing situations; they can escalate and de-escalate as quickly as possible,” Mr Johnson said.
Police had been called to a domestic violence incident at a Narangba home about 12.30am on Sunday, a police spokesperson earlier said in a statement.
“The man approached officers and made threats towards police whilst armed with a firearm and as a result was shot,” the spokesperson said.
“Officers immediately provided first aid and commenced CPR however the man died at the scene.
“No one else was injured in the incident and there is no ongoing risk to the community.”
Paramedics took three people suffering shock to hospital.
A neighbour told the ABC she heard “banging, popping noises” which sounded like “banging on the water tank out the back of our house”.
Mr Johnson said police were looking at whether the man’s rifle was legally owned.
Queensland Police Union’s Shane Prior claimed the man was “dressed in camouflage” and a tactical vest and had “directly threatened police with that rifle” while speaking to reporters, according to 9NEWS.
Queensland Police’s internal Ethical Standards Command will investigate, as will the Crime and Corruption Commission.
The ethical standards command had been to Burpengary police station to investigate on behalf of the coroner, Mr Johnson said, and in the coming days the officers involved will be interviewed and go through scene reenactments.
“There is nothing at this stage that causes me concern about our police actions,” he said.
The incident marks the fifth person to be shot by Queensland police this year, two of which have been fatal.
On March 3 a 21-year-old man was killed during a welfare check in Brisbane’s east. From March 4 to April 1, three men were non-fatally shot by officers in separate incidents at the Sunshine Coast, Logan, and at Arana Hills in Brisbane’s north.
