A man allegedly stabbed a police officer in the face with a serrated knife before being shot in the inner Brisbane suburb of Kangaroo Point.
The incident unfolded as Queensland police tried to serve a warrant on the man’s neighbour at a unit complex about 11.30am on Wednesday.
Police alleged the man who was subject to the warrant initially refused entry before eventually allowing officers access after a brief negotiation.
As the officers spoke with the man, they were ambushed by a neighbour armed with a large serrated blade, police alleged.
“They were confronted by a male from another unit that has entered in the unit and stabbed one of our officers in the chin with a 20cm serrated knife,” Det Supt Andrew Massingham alleged.
The man allegedly attempted to flee, only to be confronted by police and told to drop the weapon.
Police attempted to taser him, before a junior female officer fired a single shot into the man’s abdomen.
“The offender immediately fell to the ground, was disarmed and first aid was applied immediately,” Massingham said.
The 38-year-old was in a critical condition at the Princess Alexandra hospital.
The injured officer was also undergoing treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.
“He’s in his 40s and he is deeply shocked as to what’s occurred,” Massingham said.
“Again today we’ve witnessed an incident involving your frontline police that is tragic and confronting.”
The 38-year-old man had a history of violence, Massingham alleged, confirming police had previously visited the address in relation to mental health concerns.
The incident is under investigation.