Brisbane man shot in groin after threatening police

A man shot in the groin by Brisbane police allegedly lunged at them with six long knives.

Queensland's Deputy Police Commissioner Ross Barnett says two female officers were lucky to escape with their lives after the confrontation at a unit block at Capalaba, in the city's east.

The officers were responding to a disturbance in the early hours of Saturday morning when a man aged 50 allegedly charged towards them with three 30-centimetre-long knives in each hand.

At first he had them pointed towards himself, but then he allegedly turned them on the officers and quickly advanced, Mr Barnett told reporters in Brisbane.

"When the man advanced within two metres of the police, one of the officers fired a single shot which hit the offender in the groin," he said.

The man is under police guard in hospital and his injuries are not life-threatening.

The shooting is under investigation by the police ethical standards command.

Mr Barnett said the use of force was appropriate, with the threat of death or serious injury in this case "imminent".

"If they hadn't taken the action that they were forced to take, I'm in no doubt that one of those officers would have been stabbed or killed," he said.

"I think this officer showed commendable restraint in not firing until he was almost upon them."

While both officers were armed with Tasers, Mr Barnett said the man lunged at them so quickly he was inside the distance where a Taser could be used safely.

The man, who was repeatedly told to drop the knives before he was shot, was known to police.

The officers involved, one with three years' service and the other with 12 months' service, had been through a traumatic event and were receiving support, Mr Barnett said.

Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers has also commended the officers' actions.

"(The) police involved should be applauded for their quick thinking and resolution of what could have been a very serious incident," Mr Leavers said.

"We are fully co-operating with the subsequent routine post-incident internal investigation and we are confident the actions of all police involved will be fully endorsed."

- AAP