BRISBANE - A police officer fatally shot overnight yelled a warning to his partner as he was fired on by a gunman at a house in north suburban Brisbane.
Queensland police said two officers went to a Keperra address about 10.50pm local time (12.50am NZT) to speak to
a man about a warrant for breaching bail conditions.
Shortly after arriving, Constable Brett Irwin, 33, was shot and fatally wounded, police said.
A man from the address was later taken to hospital with serious injuries. He remains in a critical condition.
The Courier-Mail reported there was an intense two and-a-half hour stand off between police and the gunman.
For the entire time, Constable Irwin's motionless body lay in the front yard of the house and his colleagues did not know if he was dead or alive.
Police told the paper that their officers did not fire shots during the raid but would not confirm if the gunman turned his weapon on himself.
The shot policeman, who was in his thirties, had joined the Queensland force about a year ago.
The other officer was not injured.
Two women and two children were safely released during the incident and are helping police with their inquiries.
"My deepest sympathy goes out to the family, friends and colleagues of our officer, who lost his life in such tragic circumstances," Assistant Commissioner Peter Barron said this morning.
"This incident highlights the dangers that police face on a daily basis, serving the people of Queensland.,"
- NZHERALD STAFF / AAP
