Cranbrook man shot dead after alleged knife threat at Kirwan police station

A man has been shot dead after allegedly approaching officers with a knife at a suburban police station.

The shooting happened at Kirwan police station in the north Queensland city of Townsville around 10pm on Saturday night.

Police said a 46-year-old man from the Townsville suburb of Cranbrook attended the 24-hour police station and threatened officers with his gun.

It is the latest in a string of police shootings in Queensland this year, including a fatal shooting in Mount Louisa in January, a man shot dead south of Mackay in February, a fatal shooting after an alleged stabbing near Gympie in April, a death on the Bruce Highway allegedly involving a stolen car the same month, and a man who was seriously injured after being shot by police for a second time last month.

Last year, Queensland police shot more people than the rest of Australia combined.

A Queensland Police Service (QPS) spokesperson said officers shot the man and then immediately provided first aid, but the man died a short time later.

The QPS Ethical Standards Command will investigate the incident under the supervision of the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC).

None of the officers involved were physically injured.