20-07-2025
Queensland police officers involved in weekend fatal shooting weren't equipped with latest taser model
Police officers involved in a fatal shooting in Townsville were not equipped with the latest model of taser, the Queensland premier has confirmed.
Police were called to a North Ward street on Saturday morning to reports a man was armed with a machete and a knife.
It's alleged the man advanced towards officers while armed.
After what the union has described as a "failed taser deployment", three officers fired multiple shots into the man's chest and legs.
Authorities said he was provided immediate medical assistance but died at the scene.
More than $47 million in funding was allocated in the state government's most recent budget for the purchase of 6,500 new taser models, known as Taser 10s.
But Premier David Crisafulli said the officers in Townsville did not yet have the new equipment.
"The first thing we did in our first budget was to fund the rollout of the Taser 10s that police have been crying (out) for, for a few years," Mr Crisafulli said.
"It gives the officers the protection they need, but it also helps save the life of individuals as well, it works both ways.
The former Labor government committed funding for 1,000 of the updated tasers last year after a trial in 2023.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) did not give an update on the progress of the rollout when contacted for comment.
Instead, a police spokesperson said officers were trained to use "ongoing threat assessment and communication strategies aimed at reducing the risk of harm to the community".
"Officer and community safety is paramount when police are responding to dangerous situations, with officers trained to conduct threat assessments to use the minimum force necessary to resolve an incident, with the focus on de-escalation of the situation," they said.
Queensland Police Union president Shane Prior said he understood the new tasers would be available across the state from 2026, and would be safer for officers.
"We're going to have the ability to stand at greater lengths, we're going to have more shots and better accuracy,' Mr Prior said.
"The Queensland Police Union advocated and has continued to advocate heavily for the complete rollout of Taser 10s, that's why at the last election we lobbied both Liberal and Labor party to commit to a full rollout."
'We are very appreciative of that ... but we have to acknowledge that the delay has and may very well cost lives in Queensland.'
Mr Prior said a taser was an essential piece of equipment for officers and he was looking forward to every single officer being equipped with one.
He said it was particularly important given the "increasing violence" police officers were facing on the frontline.
'Never has it been as dangerous as it is right now for police in Queensland," Mr Prior said.
QPS said the shooting would be investigated by the Ethical Standards Command, with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission.
That would include examination of the officers' body-cam footage as well as CCTV.
