A police officer and another man have been shot, with one left fighting for life, after officers were called out to what they thought would be a simple job.
Two police officers, a 40-year-old male senior constable and a first year constable, were called to an address on Tamar St in Annerley, following reports of a disturbance about 9.13am on Friday.
When they arrived, a 26-year-old man was found trespassing in the backyard of a home, armed with a piece of timber and acting erratically, according to police.
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The officers attempted to talk the man down before a physical altercation took place, where the man reached for the senior constable’s firearm, shooting him in the inner thigh.
The first year constable then shot the man twice in the stomach before applying a tourniquet to the senior officer’s leg, an act Chief Superintendent Rhys Wildman said may have been life-saving.
Wildman said that despite being shot twice, the man remained agitated, with backup crews required to taser him to bring him under control.
Forensic crews photographing the weapons used in the incident. Credit: 7NEWS Both the senior constable and the 26-year-old man were taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in critical conditions.
“You can appreciate that any circumstance such as this are traumatic, there are a number of challenges these officers faced, both physically and psychologically,” he said.
“It was very traumatic for everyone involved, including for witnesses.”
Forensic crews inspecting the police issued firearms, Glock model 22’s. Credit: 7NEWS Two people have been shot, including a police officer, during an altercation in Brisbane’s south. Credit: 7NEWS The two officers had thought they were heading out to a simple job, before the situation fell apart, according to Wildman.
He added that it was “extremely unusual for a taser to be used after a firearm had been discharged”.
“It was an unusual set of circumstances,” he said.
The police issued firearm, a Glock model 22, has a number of safety features. How the firearm was fired will form a part of the investigation, according to Wildman.
The senior constable is now believed to be in a stable condition in hospital, while the other man involved remains in a serious condition, undergoing surgery.
The matter will now be investigated by the Ethical Standards Command, with oversight by the Crime and Corruption Commission.