A couple of police officers in Queensland will be questioned after a man with a gun was shot and killed outside a local police station.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening outside the Kirwan station in Townsville. The man, who was 46 years old, died at the scene.
The officers, who were patrolling the area, saw the man from Cranbrook, who was armed with a knife.
He was then confronted by two constables. One of the officers shot him twice, and the other used his taser to stop the man before calling for help.
This incident is the latest in a series of police shootings that have occurred in Queensland this year.
In January, a man was shot and killed by police at Mount Louisa. In February, a man was fatally shot by police south of Mackay.
In April, a man died after he was allegedly stabbed near Gympie. Finally, in late August, a man was shot by police after he allegedly tried to steal a car.
According to the ABC, the number of people shot by police in Queensland in 2022-2023 was higher than the number of people shot by officers in the rest of the country.
In response to the recent police shooting in Queensland, Acting Detective Superintendent Ray Brosnan said that the law enforcers take it very seriously.
He also noted that the training of the officers is of the highest quality. He said that the officers would be interviewed through the police department’s Ethical Standards Command.
None of the officers involved in the incident were injured.
The footage from the police cameras and the police station’s CCTV will be utilized in the investigation.
Brosnan also noted that there was still no indication that the armed man was there to pose a threat.
Prior to the incident, the 46-year old man had no previous interactions with law enforcers.
According to Brosnan, it was not easy to use deadly force in any situation.
He noted that the officers would always be second-guessing themselves regardless of whether they are right or wrong.
He also couldn’t confirm if the man was under the influence of alcohol or drugs when he was shot.
A portion of the road near the police station remained closed on Sunday.
The building was also placed under a crime scene, and the situation was expected to remain that way for up to 48 hours.