Police accidentally shoot woman while firing at knife-wielding man in Cairns

A 50-year-old woman sustained a gunshot wound to the leg when police accidentally fired at a man armed with knives in Cairns on Saturday. The incident occurred in the suburban Mount Sheridan area as officers responded to reports of a man who had allegedly broken into two homes and refused to surrender.

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It was a busy residential and traffic area, it appears that one of the bullets that was discharged from the firearm has struck this lady in the lower leg.

Far Northern region assistant commissioner Graeme Paine described the situation as "extremely dangerous" with "very significant threat levels." He explained that one of the bullets discharged by officers during the confrontation struck the woman, who was standing near her front door, in the lower leg. The man, 28, was shot in the leg and arm after repeated attempts by police to get him to surrender.

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It's the actions of the person at the time, and the level of threat, which then dictates the response by the officers.

Both the man and the woman are in stable condition at Cairns Hospital. The Queensland Police Service Ethical Standards Command is conducting a review into the police response, and investigators are interviewing the three officers involved. The area remained closed to the public as forensic investigations continued.

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It's an extremely dangerous situation, we are well aware of what can happen with knives in a public place.