A routine response to a reported domestic violence incident on Queensland’s Fraser Coast turned into a dramatic armed confrontation on Friday evening, leaving a first-year police officer seriously wounded after an alleged offender opened fire on attending officers.

The incident unfolded at a semi-rural property in Horizon Court, Yengarie, west of Maryborough, shortly before 5.45pm, when Queensland Police were called to reports of a domestic violence matter.

According to police, 11 officers attended the address before the situation escalated almost immediately.

Acting Superintendent Brad Inskip said the alleged offender began firing at police “very shortly” after officers arrived, discharging multiple rounds in their direction.

One of those rounds struck a 36-year-old male constable—who was serving in his first year with the Queensland Police Service—in the leg, causing serious injuries.

Despite coming under sustained gunfire, fellow officers rushed to the wounded constable, administered emergency first aid and dragged him approximately 100 metres away from the danger zone to a position where paramedics could safely reach him. Police later described the actions of the responding officers as instrumental in saving their colleague’s life.

The injured officer was initially taken to Maryborough Hospital before being transferred through Hervey Bay and then flown by helicopter to the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital. Queensland Police said he remained in a stable condition on Saturday morning.

Inspector Paul Algie praised the courage shown by the officers who remained under fire while rescuing their colleague.

“The officers that were working with the first-year constable that was shot saved his life through their heroic actions,” Inspector Algie said.

Following the shooting, police declared a Public Safety Preservation Act (PSPA) emergency zone around the property as specialist tactical officers were deployed to the scene.

Residents living nearby were instructed to remain indoors while police secured the area and worked to determine whether any other people remained inside the property.

The siege continued for several hours before specialist officers entered the premises later that evening.

At approximately 11pm, police located a 45-year-old man deceased inside a shed on the property.

Authorities have not publicly released details about the precise cause of the man’s death, but confirmed there was no longer any threat to the community after the discovery. The emergency declaration was lifted shortly afterwards.

Police also revealed that two adult women and two children had been at the property during the incident.

All four managed to leave the property safely without injury while specialist officers maintained the security cordon.

Queensland Police confirmed none of the civilians present during the incident required medical treatment.

Investigators said the deceased man was known to police but did not hold a current Queensland firearms licence.

Authorities have not disclosed further details about the domestic violence report that initially prompted officers to attend the address, citing the ongoing investigation.

As is standard practice whenever police discharge firearms or a person dies during a police operation, the Queensland Police Service’s Ethical Standards Command has commenced an investigation.

The inquiry will be conducted with oversight from the Crime and Corruption Commission, while a report will also be prepared for the Queensland Coroner.

Police have emphasised that these investigative processes are mandatory and do not imply wrongdoing by any officer involved.

The incident has once again highlighted the dangers routinely faced by frontline police responding to domestic and family violence call-outs.

Across Queensland, domestic violence remains one of the largest categories of police demand, with officers responding to thousands of incidents every month. Many of those call-outs are resolved peacefully, but police leaders have repeatedly warned that domestic violence situations can become highly unpredictable, particularly when weapons are involved.

Frontline officers frequently arrive with limited information about the circumstances inside a home and must rapidly assess evolving risks while attempting to protect victims, children and other occupants.

The shooting also serves as another reminder of the risks confronting newly sworn officers.

The wounded constable was nearing the completion of his first year of operational policing when he was seriously injured.

Queensland Police have not released his identity, citing privacy considerations for him and his family while he continues to recover.

Support for the officer has quickly emerged from across the policing community.

Senior officers praised the professionalism shown by every member of the responding team, particularly those who placed themselves in danger to rescue their wounded colleague while the alleged offender continued firing.

The Queensland Police Union also expressed support for the injured constable and the officers involved in the operation, acknowledging the difficult circumstances they confronted during the incident.

The events at Yengarie inevitably revive memories of previous attacks on Queensland police, including the fatal Wieambilla ambush in 2022, in which two police constables lost their lives while responding to what initially appeared to be a routine inquiry.

Although the circumstances are different, policing experts have long noted that domestic violence incidents and welfare checks are among the most volatile situations officers encounter because the threat level can change within seconds after arriving at a property.

Queensland Police have not indicated whether any additional tactical or operational reviews will follow this incident beyond the mandatory investigations already underway.

For now, detectives continue to examine the scene, gather forensic evidence and interview witnesses in an effort to establish the full sequence of events that led to the shooting.

Authorities have urged anyone with information relevant to the incident to contact police.

While investigators work to determine exactly what occurred, the focus for many within the Queensland policing community remains on the recovery of the young constable whose colleagues’ quick thinking and extraordinary courage are widely credited with saving his life.