Police accidentally shoot woman while responding to Cairns knife incident

Police accidentally shoot Cairns woman while firing at armed man Sun 26 Jul 2026 at 11:05am In short: A woman has been accidentally shot by police firing at a man armed with knives on a suburban Cairns street. The man had allegedly broken into two homes and refused to surrender to police. What's next? QPS Ethical Standards Command is conducting a review into the police response. An innocent bystander has been shot in the leg by police while standing near the front door of her home in suburban Cairns. Police said the 50-year-old was accidentally hit when officers fired at a man allegedly armed with knives at a neighbouring property in Mount Sheridan on Saturday afternoon. Far Northern region Assistant Commissioner Graeme Paine said the shootings happened during an "extremely dangerous" incident with "very significant threat levels". "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," Assistant Commissioner Paine said. "It's the actions of the person at the time, and the level of threat, which then dictates the response by the officers." Assistant Commissioner Paine said it was a very challenging and distressing situation for the family and officers involved. Officers shot the 28-year-old man in the leg and arm after repeated attempts to get him to surrender, police said. The man and woman are in a stable condition in Cairns Hospital. "It's an extremely dangerous situation, we are well aware of what can happen with knives in a public place," Chief Superintendent Paine said. 'Incredibly dynamic situation' At 5:11pm on Saturday, police received multiple Triple Zero (000) reports of a man armed with knives on Benjamina Street following alleged attempts to break into two homes. Police said the man was confronted by occupants during the break-ins and allegedly stole two large knives. They said the man was found after a search, which involved the police helicopter, at the intersection of Foster and Hardy roads where he was given "numerous" verbal commands to surrender. The Queensland Police Service Ethical Standards Command is reviewing the police response to the incident. Investigators are speaking with the three officers — one sergeant and two constables — who deployed their firearms. "Things can escalate very quickly … it is very hard to anticipate a person's responses to verbal directions or different commands," Assistant Commissioner Paine said. "We're focused now on doing the investigation, getting a really complete picture of what happened and supporting both the officers and police." Multiple crime scenes have been established as forensic investigations continue. Police are appealing to anyone with information and any relevant video footage to come forward.