Queensland police have launched an internal investigation after a man was shot and killed by officers during a “mental health incident” in suburban Townsville.
In a statement, the Queensland Police Service (QPS) claimed the man was armed with a knife and had “threatened” officers who had been called to attend a home at Mount Louisa just after midnight on Sunday. Police officers arrived at the scene an hour later.
Details released by the QPS have not been confirmed by independent sources or any investigation.
Chief Supt Chris Lawson told reporters on Sunday that the callout related to a “mental health incident” and that man had “been identified carrying a knife and advanced” at police officers. He said police initially attempted to use a Taser.
“However that was ineffective and as a result he was shot,” Lawson said.
Asked by a reporter whether the man had been armed with a “a large pair of tweezers” that had been collected by police at the site on Sunday morning, Lawson said: “At this stage I don’t want to speculate what the weapon was or anything like that.”
Lawson said he had not seen body-worn camera footage and did not know which of six officers present, of varying ranks, had fired their weapons.
“We’re not sure which one actually fired at this point,” he said.
The ethical standards command will investigate the man’s death on behalf of the coroner.
A woman in her 20s has also died after being shot north of Brisbane. Emergency services attended a property on Grant Road in Morayfield just after midnight and tried to help the woman, but she died at the scene.
An 18-year-old man from the suburb is being interviewed and police have established a crime scene at the property as investigations continue.
